Sometimes, shaking up a daily routine can be the most effective way to unleash new bounds in creative productivity. There’s been a lot of focus on morning routines in particular, but in reality, history’s most innovative thinkers each had incredibly customised approaches to their day.
Here are five of some of history’s most famous creative thinkers and their unique approaches to daily routines.
Toni Morrison had a pre-dawn daily routine
Toni Morrison is one of history’s most celebrated writers. For her fiction, she won the Pulitzer and Nobel Prizes. Most of her most significant writing was done before dawn. She preferred to compose while enjoying a quiet cup of coffee and watching the sunrise. She detested writing at night and would go to bed early.
Much has been written about the power of rising early. If your body clock naturally skews towards getting up early, embrace the pocket of productivity that can await you in the day’s most quiet hours.
Charles Dickens’ daily routine was strict
Charles Dickens, author of a dizzying number of original characters and stories, believed in a strict routine. He wrote from nine in the morning until two in the afternoon and would then take himself for a three-hour walk through London. He believed the walks helped him work through ideas. He joins many other writers in claiming that regular exercise helped with creative productivity.
Benjamin Franklin embraced self-reflection in his daily routine
In a wildly productive life, Benjamin Franklin was one of the founding fathers of the US. Still, he also made significant contributions to innovations in eyeglasses, electricity, home heating and daylight saving. His life was too varied to have a fixed daily routine, but his emphasis on self-reflection was life-long.
Franklin began each day by asking, “What good shall I do today?” He ended his day with a similar question: “What good have I done today?” He wouldn’t have recognised these questions as cornerstones of mindful productivity, but they are. Setting intentions and engaging in brief self-reflection can help with work satisfaction and goal-setting.
Andy Warhol made his social life part of his daily routine
Andy Warhol was obsessed with time, documenting his life compulsively. It means we have a huge amount of knowledge on his daily routine, which saw an almost complete crossover between his social and professional spheres. For Warhol, there was little separation between work and pleasure. He often started his morning with phone calls to friends, gathering inspiration from the gossip of his social circle.
Warhol spent his days at The Factory, managing creative projects and creating art. His love of socialising undoubtedly deeply influenced his productivity.
Agatha Christie didn’t have a daily routine
If you find sticking to a strict schedule nauseating, you’re not alone. One of history’s most prolific and influential writers, Agatha Christie, didn’t have a strict routine. She didn’t even have a dedicated desk. She used her typewriter at her kitchen table, but happily wrote whenever and wherever the mood struck her.
She said her best ideas often came while washing dishes, letting the monotony of repetitive action free her mind. This echoes research that suggests walking, taking a shower or other ‘boring’ actions can help creativity by relaxing the mind.
