diff --git a/.env b/.env
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9235376
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.env
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+ORBIS_LOG_LEVEL=debug
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index fcf1a5e..83e7be5 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
 .cuddle/
 bin/
+tmp/
diff --git a/cmd/orbis/main.go b/cmd/orbis/main.go
index 01b4707..9d7dc61 100644
--- a/cmd/orbis/main.go
+++ b/cmd/orbis/main.go
@@ -5,9 +5,16 @@ import (
 	"os"
 
 	"git.front.kjuulh.io/kjuulh/orbis/internal/app"
+	"github.com/joho/godotenv"
 )
 
 func main() {
+	err := godotenv.Load()
+	if err != nil {
+		fmt.Printf("%s\n", err)
+		os.Exit(1)
+	}
+
 	app := app.NewApp()
 
 	if err := newRoot(app).Execute(); err != nil {
diff --git a/cmd/orbis/root.go b/cmd/orbis/root.go
index c377111..4fa72ee 100644
--- a/cmd/orbis/root.go
+++ b/cmd/orbis/root.go
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 package main
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
+
 	"git.front.kjuulh.io/kjuulh/orbis/internal/app"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 )
@@ -13,8 +15,13 @@ func newRoot(app *app.App) *cobra.Command {
 		Short: "Orbis is a data workflow scheduler for all your batch and real-time needs",
 
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
+			ctx := cmd.Context()
 			logger.Info("starting orbis")
 
+			if err := app.Scheduler().Execute(ctx); err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("scheduler failed with error: %w", err)
+			}
+
 			return nil
 		},
 	}
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index c288e92..56a6702 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ require github.com/spf13/cobra v1.8.1
 
 require (
 	github.com/inconshreveable/mousetrap v1.1.0 // indirect
+	github.com/joho/godotenv v1.5.1 // indirect
 	github.com/spf13/pflag v1.0.5 // indirect
 	gitlab.com/greyxor/slogor v1.6.0 // indirect
 	golang.org/x/sys v0.28.0 // indirect
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index 7bf7282..10298ac 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 github.com/cpuguy83/go-md2man/v2 v2.0.4/go.mod h1:tgQtvFlXSQOSOSIRvRPT7W67SCa46tRHOmNcaadrF8o=
 github.com/inconshreveable/mousetrap v1.1.0 h1:wN+x4NVGpMsO7ErUn/mUI3vEoE6Jt13X2s0bqwp9tc8=
 github.com/inconshreveable/mousetrap v1.1.0/go.mod h1:vpF70FUmC8bwa3OWnCshd2FqLfsEA9PFc4w1p2J65bw=
+github.com/joho/godotenv v1.5.1 h1:7eLL/+HRGLY0ldzfGMeQkb7vMd0as4CfYvUVzLqw0N0=
+github.com/joho/godotenv v1.5.1/go.mod h1:f4LDr5Voq0i2e/R5DDNOoa2zzDfwtkZa6DnEwAbqwq4=
 github.com/russross/blackfriday/v2 v2.1.0/go.mod h1:+Rmxgy9KzJVeS9/2gXHxylqXiyQDYRxCVz55jmeOWTM=
 github.com/spf13/cobra v1.8.1 h1:e5/vxKd/rZsfSJMUX1agtjeTDf+qv1/JdBF8gg5k9ZM=
 github.com/spf13/cobra v1.8.1/go.mod h1:wHxEcudfqmLYa8iTfL+OuZPbBZkmvliBWKIezN3kD9Y=
diff --git a/internal/app/app.go b/internal/app/app.go
index e916092..0e5524b 100644
--- a/internal/app/app.go
+++ b/internal/app/app.go
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ package app
 
 import (
 	"log/slog"
+
+	"git.front.kjuulh.io/kjuulh/orbis/internal/scheduler"
 )
 
 type App struct {
@@ -17,3 +19,7 @@ func NewApp() *App {
 func (a *App) Logger() *slog.Logger {
 	return a.logger
 }
+
+func (a *App) Scheduler() *scheduler.Scheduler {
+	return scheduler.NewScheduler(a.logger)
+}
diff --git a/internal/app/logging.go b/internal/app/logging.go
index 75576ac..bf8a3a5 100644
--- a/internal/app/logging.go
+++ b/internal/app/logging.go
@@ -3,10 +3,26 @@ package app
 import (
 	"log/slog"
 	"os"
+	"strings"
 
 	"gitlab.com/greyxor/slogor"
 )
 
 func setupLogging() *slog.Logger {
-	return slog.New(slogor.NewHandler(os.Stderr))
+	logLevelRaw := os.Getenv("ORBIS_LOG_LEVEL")
+	var logLevel slog.Leveler
+	switch strings.ToLower(logLevelRaw) {
+	case "debug":
+		logLevel = slog.LevelDebug
+	case "info":
+		logLevel = slog.LevelInfo
+	case "warn":
+		logLevel = slog.LevelWarn
+	case "error":
+		logLevel = slog.LevelError
+	default:
+		logLevel = slog.LevelInfo
+	}
+
+	return slog.New(slogor.NewHandler(os.Stderr, slogor.SetLevel(logLevel)))
 }
diff --git a/internal/lifecycles/lifecycles.go b/internal/lifecycles/lifecycles.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ad3e0af
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/lifecycles/lifecycles.go
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+package lifecycles
diff --git a/internal/scheduler/scheduler.go b/internal/scheduler/scheduler.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8897864
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/scheduler/scheduler.go
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+package scheduler
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"fmt"
+	"log/slog"
+	"time"
+)
+
+type Scheduler struct {
+	logger *slog.Logger
+}
+
+func NewScheduler(logger *slog.Logger) *Scheduler {
+	return &Scheduler{
+		logger: logger,
+	}
+}
+
+func (s *Scheduler) Execute(ctx context.Context) error {
+	for {
+		select {
+		case <-ctx.Done():
+			s.logger.Info("gracefully shutting down scheduler")
+			return nil
+		default:
+			if err := s.process(ctx); err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("scheduler failed: %w", err)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func (s *Scheduler) process(ctx context.Context) error {
+	s.logger.Debug("scheduler processing items")
+
+	// FIXME: simulate work
+	time.Sleep(time.Second * 5)
+
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/internal/utilities/singleton.go b/internal/utilities/singleton.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c64cb80
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/utilities/singleton.go
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+package utilities
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"sync"
+)
+
+func Singleton[T any](init func() (T, error)) func() T {
+	var (
+		once sync.Once
+		t    T
+	)
+
+	return func() T {
+		once.Do(func() {
+			var err error
+			t, err = init()
+			if err != nil {
+				panic(fmt.Sprintf("creating %T failed: %s", t, err))
+			}
+		})
+
+		return t
+	}
+}
diff --git a/tmp/build-errors.log b/tmp/build-errors.log
deleted file mode 100644
index 40b5ed1..0000000
--- a/tmp/build-errors.log
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-exit status 1exit status 1exit status 1exit status 1
\ No newline at end of file