Daily Routines of Interesting People
Tuesday May 15, 2012
What is a normal routine or lifestyle
by Robyn Viljoen
Having spent the last 15 years training people on time management I’m often asked same really basic questions like “What is a normal routine?” , “ How much time should we sleep?” and “How long does it take to plan your week or write up goals?”.
I think most of my audiences are surprised when I say there is no magical formula or measure for this. It ultimately is up to each individual to determine this for themselves. We are not robotic, we cannot be programmed and some things just cannot be measured. We are all different, some of us need more sleep, some more exercise, some more interaction and others more time on their own.
How you spend your life or time is a very philosophical discussion yet in our fast paced world everyone thinks by reading “The Idiots Guide to Time Management” or by typing in “Time Management” into Google all their life issues are going to be resolved. A Microsoft Office Course is also not going to make you a better at Time Management. We want everything and are often not prepared to change or work for it.
Winston Churchill (Statesman)
Despite all this activity Churchill’s daily routine changed little during these years. He awoke about 7:30 a.m. and remained in bed for a substantial breakfast and reading of mail and all the national newspapers. For the next couple of hours, still in bed, he worked, dictating to his secretaries.
At 11:00 a.m., he arose, bathed, and perhaps took a walk around the garden, and took a weak whisky and soda to his study.
At 1:00 p.m. he joined guests and family for a three-course lunch. Clementine drank claret, Winston champagne, preferable Pol Roger served at a specific temperature, port brandy and cigars. When lunch ended, about 3:30 p.m. he returned to his study to work, or supervised work on his estate, or played cards or backgammon with Clementine.
At 5:00 p.m., after another weak whisky and soda, he went to bed for an hour and a half. He said this siesta, a habit gained in Cuba, allowed him to work 1 1/2 days in every 24 hours. At 6:30 p.m. he awoke, bathed again, and dressed for dinner at 8:00 p.m.
Dinner was the focal-point and highlight of Churchill’s day. Table talk, dominated by Churchill, was as important as the meal. Sometimes, depending on the company, drinks and cigars extended the event well past midnight. The guests retired, Churchill returned to his study for another hour or so of work.
John Grisham (Author)
When he first started writing, Grisham says, he had "these little rituals that were silly and brutal but very important."
"The alarm clock would go off at 5, and I'd jump in the shower. My office was 5 minutes away. And I had to be at my desk, at my office, with the first cup of coffee, a legal pad and write the first word at 5:30, five days a week."
His goal: to write a page every day. Sometimes that would take 10 minutes, sometimes an hour; often times he would write for two hours before he had to turn to his job as a lawyer, which he never especially enjoyed. In the Mississippi Legislature, there were "enormous amounts of wasted time" that would give him the opportunity to write.
"So I was very disciplined about it," he says, then quickly concedes he doesn't have such discipline now: "I don't have to."
Benjamin Franklin (Inventor)
Often regarded as the Father of Time management the following an extract from his work, “The precept of Order requiring that every part of my business should have its allotted time, one page in my little book contained the following scheme of employment for the twenty-four hours of a natural day”
So in summary there is no magic rules or methods. I believe to lead a life of balance and integrity to yourself is ultimately what we all strive for. To discover what you love doing and feel like you are making a contribution is what we should be getting up for every morning.
In my observation ...Individuals who have a passion and purpose never seem to need time management.
To read up on other interesting people take a look at this website