The Perfect Work Routine

Instead of wasting time trying to copy-and-paste a system from a self-help book, everyone should intentionally design a system that works for them, based on their goals, their personality, and their obligations. But it doesn’t mean we need to reinvent the wheel and design our system from scratch. We can pick-and-choose from existing systems and add... See more

To the extent you’re going back to working on your tools, it should be driven by some noticeable shortcomings in the actual work. Your knife isn’t cutting like it used to. You’re losing too much time to email. Tool work should always be a focused attempt to fix a specific problem, not passive information consumption hoping to find a quick win that ... See more

Popular culture seems to agree with this view. Morning routines, writing routines, exercise routines—these are the blueprints of modern self-actualization, shared online one after another for a perpetually searching public. We study them like clues that may lead us to the correct way to be. The correct way to repeat ourselves.

Fix the lifestyle you want. Then work backwards from there.

Rather than restricting your freedom, a routine gives you freedom by protecting you from the ups and downs of life and helping you take advantage of your limited time, energy, and talent. A routine establishes good habits that can lead to your best work.