Haruki Murakami’s Routine

The famous Apple Co-founder used to get up and look in the mirror, asking himself this: If today was the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today? If the answer he got was ‘no’ for too long, it would be clear he needs to change something in his life.

This stoic reminder makes us reevaluate our lives and live each day at its best, leading to a more happy and fulfilled existence.

• Barack Obama makes it simple by getting up early, working out, reading newspapers and spending quality time with his family over breakfast.
• He starts working by 9:00 am and occasionally works late, making sure to attend dinner with his family.
• He eliminates unnecessary decision making by having a personal uniform, a set of identical suits that let him focus on what’s important.

The Former Prime Minister stayed in bed until 11:00 a.m., reading newspapers and having breakfast.

He enjoyed his leisure time on a normal work day, with an afternoon nap, plenty of eating and reading books.

The entrepreneur only checks his email once in the morning and does not touch it again for 24 hours.

He also never takes any work home. This is a lesson for today's hyper-connected world with endless phone notifications and blurred boundaries of work and home.

Our day creates our life. We mistakenly believe that we will work hard, get lucky and eventually achieve success, not knowing that making each day successful is the key to a successful life.

The daily routines of famous people provide us with key ideas on focusing on what matters, simplicity and decision making.

The writer used to reflect on what she had done during the day during late evenings, before dinner.

This period of incubation makes us a witness, and is a form of meditation, highly crucial for creative professionals.

The writer slept for about three to four hours in the afternoon/evening and then worked on his books till 2:00 am.

He realized that he is more creative at night, and took care of his day job (at an insurance firm) by working about six hours in the day.

The writer/journalist used to write early morning and then stop in the afternoon after reviewing his work, using the downtime from afternoon till night to debate ideas in his head and get ready for the next morning.

The lesson here is that it is important to stop working and letting our mind work on its own.

Getting up at 4:00 am is an exceptional routine to follow, as implemented by one of the founding fathers of the United States.

The early morning focus is unparalleled, and we can make or break the day by seizing the morning and intentionally focusing on what we want to accomplish for the day before it starts.

The writer, filmmaker and philosopher had specific time zones for work, with no phone calls before noon, and taking the entire Friday to answer letters.

This scheduling routine helps us avoid getting stressed.

The British journalist ensures a fitness sports routine for an hour every morning, followed by a beauty routine.

We need to put ourselves first in the morning, rather than being trapped in obligations or the instructions of other people.

The writer used to explore unfamiliar terrien on foot or on the bicycle. Apart from walks, he used to go and see friends, read in cafes, sketch, paint, make notes, and finally write when in the mood.

This diverse range of activities minimized writer’s block.