What is the recipe for success? We may never truly find out. However, what we do know is that by analyzing the routines and practices of the most successful people, we can identify patterns in their lifestyles that help us get an idea of how we should manage our time. With their agendas so tight, they prefer to have an established routine; because they know that it works for them.
This is how a normal day looks like in the life of different successful CEOs:
05:00: wake up
Much has been said that success is achieved at dawn. The earlier you get out of bed, the more time you will have to accomplish the objectives that, of course, you will have set out the night before. You can also take control of the rest of the day to stop for breakfast calmly and spend time with your family.
5:30 have breakfast
Breakfast, the most important meal of the day: allows you to be alert, regulate the amount of blood sugar and increase your satiety for the rest of the day. A strong meal in the morning will keep the ghrelin at bay, the so-called hunger hormone.
06:00: exercise
Tie your shoelaces and go for a run. Of course, it’s not an easy habit, especially in winter, but it will help you feel good about yourself and keep your body healthy. Not only that, but you’ll be more alert during the day, reduce stress, improve your sleep. Tim Cook is a big fan of exercise.
Meditate
Reserve some time for yourself. ‘Mindfulness’, is very popular among executives. In short, it means being more aware of our thoughts and emotions. Surely, we all take time to meditate every day, even unconsciously. Making an effort to keep those reflections for longer will help us improve our personal relationships and productivity at work. Journalist Arianna Huffington describes her combination of morning yoga and meditation as her ‘triggers of joy.’
Read
Successful people read every day; but they do not read the first thing that they encounter. They are usually very selective. The voracious reading habits of Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates or Warren Buffet are known. Elon Musk, co-founder of PayPal, read four hours a day in his childhood; and see where he has come now.
Start your work routine from 08:00 – 09:00, and don’t forget to include lunch during your schedule
It is good to take our time for lunch. Face that hour as a restful break that will surely improve your concentration levels for the rest of the day.
18:00: leave work and disconnect
Emma Tynan, CEO of LinkedIn recommends leaving work at 6:00 pm. According to research, millionaires leave work at work and thus can devote time to family or personal projects in their spare time. “My day ends when I am tired and ready to go home. There will always be more to do, more should be done, more could be done,” says Intel founder Andy Grove, who always leaves the office at 6:30 p.m., no matter what is happening in the office.
Sleep eight hours
“Sleep your way to success.” Arianna Huffington, who advocates sleeping eight hours a night and banning any electronic device in the room, says so. This eliminates the temptation to check work emails in the middle of the night, which could lead to more stress and insomnia. For example, Bill Gates always tries to sleep seven hours and usually reads an hour before bedtime. Improve your creativity, ingenuity, confidence and ability to make decisions.