Excellent post! I've been following that "No zero days" philosophy as well, waking up every morning at 0515 and working on my game for an hour before I have to go to work.
I've heard some self-help gurus say that it's best to do any OUTPUT (creative) stuff in the mornings when you're rested and fresh and save the afternoons for INPUT (reading, learning) when you're worn out from your 9-5 job. But I imagine the effectiveness of this philosophy is also determined by if you're a morning or an evening person.