Most bad decisions start with “I’m bored.” Have a plan for boredom before it makes plans for you.

Boredom is an uncomfortable state that gets resolved one way or another, and if you have not decided how, something else decides for you. What fills the gap tends to be whatever is nearest and most stimulating rather than whatever you would have chosen. Very little of it is planned, which is precisely the issue.

Keep two or three defaults ready for empty time, chosen while you are not bored. A book within reach, a route you like walking, someone you always enjoy calling.