My life runs on 18 daily habits.
Every complex task I complete can be credited to this autopilot, running in the background, ensuring I function to the best of my ability.
Here’s the list:
- Wake up at 6 AM.
- Drink a glass of water.
- Open the blinds and window.
- Read a page in The Daily Stoic.
- Get up and stretch my arms.
- Do 1–3 sets of 1–3 different exercises, like dips, push ups, jumping jacks, etc.
- Brush my teeth.
- Shower.
- Get dressed, make hair, two splashes of cologne. Gotta smell great.
- Walk to the subway.
- Buy breakfast at the final stop kiosk. They already know. A buttered pretzel and a coffee. Mmmmm… It’s 2.05 €.
- Sit in the same spot as always.
- Have breakfast while reading.
- Answer a question on Quora.
- Curate content for a side gig of mine.
- Check email and Slack once at 11 AM when all mails are moved to my inbox.
- Lunch between 12–1 PM.
- Second coffee after lunch.
The rest of my day is pretty flexible and how I spend my time depends heavily on what I do.
After spelling it out I realize the trick: By almost completely automating the first half of my day, the autopilot just keeps on running after lunch.
I do whatever I have to do. Until the work is done.
I work hard, but my life is simple. The two are inextricable. Simplicity allows you to do what’s hard. Doing what’s hard keeps your life simple.
This isn’t the perfect list for everybody. You have to find what works for you, add some more and ditch others.
But if you asked me what my motto for a successful and happy life was, I’d say:
Same habits, same way, except today’s a different day.