FWIW, the article also mentions that in his autobiography he goes on to explain that he was able to stick to his schedule for only a very short time before he abandoned it.
He also had thirteen virtues (http://www.ushistory.org/franklin/autobiography/page38.htm) which he cycled through week by week, concentrating particularly on one of them each week. I always figured this was a bit tongue-in-cheek, though, because his definition of "humility" is "imitate Jesus and Socrates".
Man, I really can't choose between him and Twain for Most Sarcastic American Historical Figure.