The elemental view
Twelve day officers rotate in a fixed order — Establish, Remove, Full, Balance, Stable, Hold, Break, Danger, Success, Collect, Open, Close. Each favours a kind of act and warns against its opposite; 'Open' and 'Success' days suit beginnings, 'Break' and 'Danger' days do not.
Reading the balance
Every classical system, The Chinese Almanac (Tong Shu) included, ultimately reads as a balance of Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water — what is excessive, what is missing, and how the generating and controlling cycles can restore harmony.
The takeaway
Checking the day's officer before the inbox is an old strategist's habit: place demanding work on strong days and routine admin on weak ones, and let the calendar carry some of the load.
Try it yourself: The Chinese Almanac (Tong Shu) is free on FengMaster, computed to the letter.