When you have the opportunity to ask some of the most interesting people in the world about their lives, sometimes the most fascinating answers come from the simplest questions. The Thrive Questionnaire is an ongoing series that gives an intimate look inside the lives of some of the world’s most successful people.
Thrive Global: What’s the first thing you do when you get out of bed?
Justine Lucas: Chug a glass of water and get out of bed as soon as possible. I do check my phone for any crises, but I definitely do not write or respond to any emails. Though I have to admit, sometimes I lay on my side, scrolling through Instagram.
TG: What gives you energy?
JL: Coffee, running, people, and tequila.
TG: What’s your secret life hack?
JL: Not getting sick and my secret combo seems to be: drink lots of water and pop cranberry pills and a multivitamin fairly regularly. I take Emergen-C at the slightest feeling of being under the weather and exercise.
TG: Name a book that changed your life.
JL: I’m a big John Steinbeck fan. If he were alive, I think we would be soul mates.
TG: Tell us about your relationship with your phone. Does it sleep with you?
JL: I am notorious for shattering my phone on a fairly regular basis. Recently, I had a bit of an adventure in Minnesota where I kayaked across a lake in the pitch black, of course, blasting music from my phone in my lap. When my friend recapped the adventure a few weeks later, she said: “And Justine was listening to music while we paddled across the lake, with 110% chance of dropping her phone in the water”. So that’s it – I’m addicted like we all are, but also proportionally more irresponsible than most. I am grateful for insurance. When sleeping, I do keep my phone next to my bed but on the floor, so it’s far enough away that I can’t hear any buzzing.
TG: How do you deal with email?
JL: I’m fascinated by those that are on top of the game of labeling or sorting or flagging their emails. I sort my inbox in Gmail to put unread messages at the top – this seems to be the best system for my brain. When going through my emails, I delete the junk first, deal with the quick things, and anything that needs a bit more thought or is something I need to keep top of mind, I mark as unread so everything of importance stays grouped at the top of my inbox.
TG: You unexpectedly find 15 minutes in your day, what do you do with it?
JL: Call family or friends. I am a big believer in this old-school concept of phone calls just for the sake of a chat.
Justine Lucas is the Executive Director of the Clara Lionel Foundation (CLF). Founded by Robyn “Rihanna” Fenty, CLF supports groundbreaking and effective education, health and emergency response programs to improve the lives of young people around the world.