How to create the perfect day
First, a few caveats:
- In this post I am going to talk about the perfect workday. Obviously, for many of people the perfect day wouldn’t include anything even remotely considered work.
- I am going to focus on the first part of the day, as that tends to steer everything that comes afterward in one direction or another.
- I am by no means writing this because I have it mastered. However, its something I think about a lot and try to improve every day. When I do get it right, it’s magical.
With that said, on to the real deal.
Morning routines have become something of a hot topic in recent years. Mason Currey put together an entire book about the daily habits of “artists,” from Ben Franklin to Andy Warhol. Tim Ferriss talks about the routines of world-class performers on his blog and in his podcast all the time. Many people might have a routine that produces the greatest results without ever knowing it. We tend to equate routines with the rote or the tedious, something to be avoided wherever possible. I think there is a difference between developing habits and routines that deliver consistent results and simply going through the motions of each day to the point where every day feels exactly the same. I think its possible to set yourself up to have the optimal day without feeling stuck.
No discussion about structuring the perfect day would be complete without accounting for the night before. If you stay up until 2 AM and wake up at 7 AM when you are used to seven or eight hours of sleep, there are no habits or routines that will overcome your fatigue. For me, an optimal day starts with a few things on the night before: a healthy dinner, preparing my task list for the following day, going to bed early enough to give me nearly eight hours and reading for at least 20-30 minutes before I fall asleep. I avoid blue light and limit my screen time at least an hour before getting into bed. I also try to limit my consumption of liquids to a few hours before bedtime, something which James Altucher talks about often in his own writing and in conversations with others. If you do nothing else, get enough sleep.
Earlier this year, my in-laws gave me the book Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life, by Admiral William H. McRaven, which is an extrapolation on a commencement speech he gave at the University of Texas in 2014. The message behind his first point - and the title of the book - is that something as trivial as making your bed can positively impact you in multiple ways. First, it starts your day off with a sense of accomplishment (and means you get to come home to a nicely made bed - who doesn’t like that). Second, if you do it every day, it is likely to build discipline in other areas. Any research into the greatest coaches of all time will point to a relentless focus on fundamentals and getting the basics right. Small habits often have a compounding effect on other aspects of your life, so start every day by making your bed.
Throughout my college years, as a member of the rowing team, I was required to be at the boathouse by 5:30 AM every weekday for practice. After my second year, we were prohibited from driving which meant we had a 1.5 mile run before and after practices, every day. After graduating and joining the real world, I vowed never to wake up early to work out as long as I could help it. Now, 13 years later, I am awake by 6 or 6:30 several times a week in order to do just that. My work schedule has simply become too unpredictable to maintain evening workouts, and I’ve found that training early in the day leads to a sharper mind and greater focus. There will be days where the last thing you want to do is get out of bed. The way to tackle this is to plan ahead and don’t try to wake up early after a late night, and to paraphrase Jocko Willink (you do not have to wake up at 4:30 AM every day like he does), just get it done. Going through the motions is always better than doing nothing.
It took me a long time to get into a groove with meditation (for the purposes of this post, I am equating meditation with mindfulness). Like years. I read blog posts and articles and listened to podcasts about the benefits all the time, but kept getting hung up thinking that I needed a dedicated room or space in my home. Now, I spend at least ten minutes every morning on my living room floor sitting against my couch meditating. I consider this a key piece of structuring the perfect day because it works. The days where I make time for this are generally my most productive and my stress is kept in check. If I skip it or don’t leave myself enough time, I can actually feel how much more anxious I am. You don’t need to go to a fancy studio or hire a guru to get started. Headspace and Calm are both great apps for dipping your toe in. Another thing I do that really works is incorporate some of Tony Robbins’ thinking on gratitude. He says that its impossible to be angry, stressed or afraid while feeling grateful for the good things in your life. I couldn’t agree with this more. For me, thinking of a few things that I am truly grateful for, either currently or in my past as I wrap up my mindfulness exercise really sets a positive tone for the day to come and helps me keep things in perspective.
I am not a coffee drinker. I've never had more than a sip or two in my life. I love the smell but can’t stand the taste. It's really the only thing I won’t eat or drink. However, this doesn’t mean that I don’t appreciate the pleasure some people get from that first cup of coffee (or tea) in the morning. When I get to the office, I fill a Tervis with crushed ice and filtered water. On days where I work out in the morning, I will often have a pre-workout drink like N.O. Xplode or Transparent Labs BULK, which gives me more than enough caffeine, but I find I really don’t need it. All of this is to say that while I’m the wrong guy to describe some elaborate coffee or tea ritual, I do understand the importance of preparing yourself for the day by doing a few things you truly enjoy. If a hot (or cold) beverage does that for you, don’t skip it!
You’ve always heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I’m pretty sure that's something parents or the cereal manufacturers made up for their own benefit, but it is certainly an important component of an ideal day. On training days, I will have a shake (recipe to come in a later post) and then something when I get to the office. There are those, like Jason Ferruggia, who de-emphasize breakfast, but I find that I don’t operate well on an empty stomach. If you are going to make this part of your routine, make sure to eat something high in protein and ideally with some healthy fats and/or vegetables. Skip the muffins, the cereal and nearly every other common breakfast option that is billed as healthy even though it is far from it. Give yourself enough time to eat consciously and not scarf it down as you rush out the door or on your commute. I subscribe to Kettlebell Kitchen (for lunch and dinner and breakfast on training days), which gives me nutrient-dense, paleo-friendly meals in the two or three minutes it takes to heat up in the microwave. If you are someone who operates better after eating breakfast, build this into your routine.
There is a term in the cooking world called Mise en Place, which translates to “everything in its place” in French. I first learned about this concept in reading Kitchen Confidential and it came up again in The 4 Hour Chef. I put it into practice with a near-obsessive focus during the year or two my wife and I subscribed to Blue Apron. https://www.blueapron.com As someone with more than a small amount of OCD, the idea of having everything set out and where it belongs seems like common sense to me. However, the main tenant of the mise en place is to have everything set out before you begin. You may not be a cook or a chef, but most of us have a workspace where we spend the vast majority of our time. If a computer is the primary tool of your trade, this typically includes a desk, chair, phone and several personal items. I gave up my desk chair for a yoga ball over 2 years ago and ditched that in January for an adjustable standing desk (fidget bar optional but definitely awesome). The perils of sitting for hours and hours every day are well known at this point and you’d be surprised how quickly you will adjust to standing. Regardless of your setup, make sure your workspace is conducive to getting things done, is designed to minimize distractions and is set up how you like it at the beginning of each day.
Having worked in offices with as few as two or three other people to as many as hundreds, my single biggest complaint is with the frequency of distractions that occur in the typical workplace. Most of my experience is in the media space, and companies in that field tend to embrace the open floor plan wholeheartedly. In most cases, they are woefully short on conference rooms and places for private conversations or quiet focused work. Sadly, many people simply choose not to work from their assigned desk because they are inundated with people asking questions or otherwise distracting them. Facebook and Google are famous for how sprawling their offices are, and walking through them you’ll see nooks and crannies designed for one or multiple people scattered everywhere. This was certainly not done unintentionally and I believe is a major contributing factor to their success. If you do work in a distracting or disruptive environment, I would suggest the following: invest in a good pair of noise-cancelling headphones. Find a place or places you can go when you need to focus or have a confidential conversation or phone call. Establish an understanding with your colleagues that when your headphones are on (or some other physical indicator), you are not to be disturbed (this will take time).
For anyone whose primary professional tool is a computer, the most commonly used application is typically email. Opening your email client first thing in the morning, either immediately after waking up or when you arrive at work can be a fatal mistake. Personally, when I get to work my inclination is to first address unanswered emails from previous days. I have this fantasy that I will be able to catch up and find myself ahead after an hour or so. It almost never works. As soon as I start responding, the people on the other end respond back, then new emails start coming in and before I know it I am treading water. Instead, stay away from email (or use offline mode) at the beginning of your day and work on the most difficult or most nagging task in front of you. I find that by literally just starting this, five minutes will turn into ten and then twenty and thirty and by the time you know it, you have made so much progress that if your day were to end right then, you’d still feel better than you do at the end of an average day. You’ll also find that you’re able to catch up on what you missed over that brief period of time incredibly quickly. Resist being pulled into the deadly email vortex with all your might and instead focus on the one thing that will make the biggest impact.
Lastly, and often most importantly, depending on the type of work environment you are in, do not let anyone else control your time. Despite all the advances our digital world has brought us, many of us still receive an inordinate number of requests for face to face meetings. I absolutely believe that more can be accomplished via a much shorter in-person interaction than via email or chat, but that doesn’t mean we should have meetings for everything. Data shows that executives spend up to 23 hours a week in meetings, many of which are a complete waste of time. In an effort to play “calendar defense,” I have blocked off several hours in the beginning and end of every day and only accept invitations for meetings outside of those blocks if they are critical or a scheduling problem for others. As a basic rule, meetings should have a written agenda and a clear desired outcome. If they don't, do not attend. If they do not need to be a half hour or hour, do not schedule them for that long. Having time to focus on tackling your priority list and getting real work done should always trump sitting in unproductive meetings.
The habits and routines that lead to the optimal day for me may not do the same for you. These are simply ideas for inspiration and best practices I’ve gained from my own efforts and exploring the habits of those considered the best in their fields. My hope is that over time you will find what works best for you and be relentless in incorporating those habits into your routine. Go forth and seize the day!