What are the daily routines of highly productive people?

By Saadia Iqbal ⏐ 8 years ago ⏐

6 min read

Do the highly productive people set their alarms earlier than average people? Or is there someone extra energetic in their breakfast that makes them so productive? Let me tell you the truth, these people have carefully organized their time and of course, they follow a routine which they don’t break at any cost.

If you want to know the daily routines of successful and productive people, just read on!

1. They wake up at the right time

Have you heard the proverb? ‘The early bird catches the worm’. That’s exactly true if you want to be productive. You need to quit waking up from the bed just 10 minutes before work. If you want to get anything done in the day your waking up time should be 5 A.M. the earlier you are awake, the faster your body tunes up to start working.

2. They create a to-do list the night before

‘Plans are nothing; planning is everything.’ – Dwight D. Eisenhower

It is pretty easy to get overwhelmed when you don’t really know which task to start your day with. Productive people make a to-do list the night before so that when they wake up in the morning, they know what frog to kill. They are pretty serious about planning their day. Along with creating a to-do list, you can also set deadlines for the most important tasks. You will likely to abide by the Parkinson’s law here which means that if something is due at the last minute, it will only take a minute to do it.

3. They always follow a morning routine

‘The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.’ –Walt Disney

In case you didn’t know, the most crucial element of a productive morning is the morning routine itself. All productivity experts recommend having a morning routine. Claire Diaz Ortiz, a productivity expert, says that creating an ideal morning routine can make you more productive. The way you start your day anchors you and helps you remain focused. If you want to reach the highest level of productivity, you must master your morning routine.

Let me set an example for you. You wake up, drink a glass of lemon, honey, and water, shower, eat your breakfast, sip coffee and read the paper, look at the calendar and then head for work. For some people, this morning routine can be 15-minute yoga too. You simply have to create a personalized routine that prepares you for work.

4. They work backward from the future

This is the way Steve Jobs worked. He once said, ‘If today was the last day of my life, would I really want to do what I am about to do today?’

If days pass by and your answer is this is ‘No’, then you need to adjust your lifestyle until your answer becomes a consistent ‘Yes.’ Think about the end of your life and define how you want people to remember you. Use the working backward strategy to achieve your goals.

5. They exercise and build healthy eating habits

Do you know that productive people start their morning with exercise? Check out the exercise routines of some famous people:

CEO of Starbucks, Howard Schulz, starts his morning by going on a bike ride.
Kevin Kruse does a 20-minute session on the treadmill daily.
Gary Vaynerchuk works out with his personal trainer.

As you move around and get your blood flowing, it will help you get started with your day and stay active. Along with exercising, you need to build healthy eating habits too. Quit the junk and start eating salad. Your body needs all the energy to work hard and for that, you need to consume the right nutrients.

6. They know when to say ‘No’ (Nicely)

Productive people only take those tasks which they can complete in their capacity. They don’t overburden themselves with projects, get stressed about them and then break their productivity routine. They are very good at saying ‘No’ when it’s appropriate and that too nicely. The same rule applies when it comes to social life. They love helping others but they know this too that if something is not in their capacity, they don’t agree to it. By saying ‘No’, they stay focused on their original goals. Like Steve Jobs said:
‘It is only by saying ‘No’ that you can concentrate on the things that are really important.’

7. They keep technological distractions at bay

Thanks to technology, since mobile devices are always in our hands, it is easy to get carried away. Text messages, social media, and mobile emails can drain our time. Productive people don’t let technology distract them. They know when to put a stop and start working. They don’t let technology own them.

8. They take naps

Productive people believe in naps. Why? Because naps increase creativity, memory, and productivity. Albert Einstein had a routine in which nap was an important part of the day. He used to have his days slit in two. After having lunch, he used to take a nap then a cup of tea to wake himself up for the afternoon. Thomas Edison used to nap for 3 hours a day. Even science confirms that taking a nap makes us more productive.

9. They collect their thoughts

Often, best ideas come to you at awkward times. Productive people don’t lose the opportunity to collect those thoughts and reflect on them later. Hence, you will always find a pocket-sized journal in their purse or backpack.

10. They give importance to reading

You must be thinking how does reading make you productive? Well, it may not make you productive right away, but reading prepares you to be productive. All successful people read because it improves memory, it de-stresses you and it increases empathy. And you need all of that to focus on your goals.

So, what are you waiting for? Revamp your daily routine and start being productive.

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