Over the years, I have developed a routine that I follow every day. I thought it might inspire some of you.
Morning routine
I wake up around 6:00 to 6:30. No alarms. I have to wake up by myself. I have breakfast around 7:00. I workout for 15 to 30 minutes. Before going to work, I try to find the three most important tasks to be accomplished that day.
Mornings are quiet. I focus better and accomplish more in the mornings. So, I try to cross off as many tasks as I can before going to work.
Work
I don’t do multitasking. Multitasking is poisonous. I do one thing at a time.
I always prioritize. I live by the words of Mark Twain, “Eat a live frog first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” [1]
Both at work and at my personal life I apply inbox zero rule.[2] If there is any email pending in my inbox, I do three things. I either reply to it, delete it, or delegate it. Subsequently, if I am done with it, I archive it.
Whatever I do, I try to focus as best as I can. To do so, I try to remove all the clutter, and all distractions while I am working. This is the only way I can work on what really matters.
I work in blocks and use the Pomodoro technique, which helps me focus on the current task.[3] I try not to interrupt what I am doing until I finish. You will be amazed to see how much you can accomplish if you give yourself to a task for 20 minutes without any distraction. This motivates me a lot and keeps me sane. I turn work into a game by working in small bursts and completing one task at a time.
I take small breaks, and in these breaks I do whatever I like. Enjoying a coffee with my friends or reading on Quora, Hacker News and Stack Overflow are my favorite break time activities.
Eating
I do not like eating alone. I always eat with friends and colleagues. This is a great way to connect with people. Talking about small stuff, ideas, projects helps you catch up. It doesn’t matter how busy you are. After all, we all eat.
I prefer eating out, whenever possible. It is refreshing and helps me clear my mind.
Note-taking
For taking notes I use a squared Moleskine notebook and a black pen. I developed an adaptation of bullet journal.[4] I try to save every bit of useful information. It is always surprising to see something you already forgot when you go back to your older notes.
For years I used mobile or laptop to take notes beside paper notes, however it became painful to manage these notes without a proper structure. So, I developed a framework to manage the notes I take. Mobile note-taking is great. But at some point it is either rude or not convenient to use a laptop or a mobile phone to take notes. People would think you are sending a text or just checking email if you are in a meeting. So, I started carrying a small notebook with me.
Although it is not always very easy to carry an additional notebook with you, it became essential for me. Especially, I keep it bed side. You can’t know when ideas would come.
Tools
I use Evernote to jot down any piece of ideas. I use it whenever possible. From all my devices. I digitize any physical stuff as best as I can to avoid clutter and save them to Evernote.
I use GitHub for all my projects, even for my writings.
I love writing. I use ZenPen web app for writing and use a markdown editor for editing.[5] It is simple, and looks great. I use LaTeX for academic writing or whenever I need something fancy looking.[6]
I read articles via RSS. I do a little bit Twitter. I don’t do Facebook.
I use a Pomodoro app, a very minimalist one, which just has a counter.
Night routine
After dinner, I continue working. Before I go to sleep, I have a short workout session, which is no more than 15 minutes. This way I feel refreshed and keep up working.
I review my notes before I go to sleep. Both the paper notes I have taken during the day, and the digital ones. I try to clear my inbox and take the necessary actions for each item.
I plan the next day after reviewing my notes. Knowing what to work on next lifts a heavy weight on my shoulders.
I try to do one thing for me no matter how tired I am. Reading a book, watching a TV show or writing is among my favorite things. This is very important for me and I try to keep it that way.
Notes
[1] Despite tradition, the quote may have not actually been authored by Mr. Twain. See Quote Investigator.
[2] Inbox zero is an approach in which you try to clear your inbox and remove all the clutter.
[3] Pomodoro is a technique in which you work for 25 minutes of blocks and give 5 or 15 minutes of breaks.
[4] Bullet journal is a great method if you fancy note-taking and making lists.
[5] ZenPen is the ultimate minimalist web app I found so far for writing. It helps you to focus on the content. I just write and save as markdown to continue writing offline.
[6] LaTeX is a treat for your eyes. Every time I see a document, either printed or not, I will notice if it is written in LaTeX. It is that good.