Habits and Daily Routines of Successful People

“I'll do it tomorrow.” This counterproductive mindset is exactly what’s keeping you from reaching your goals. 

Big names have been there too, so they’ve fine-tuned their routines to perfection.

Clearly, habits and routines matter in your pursuit of success — but they’re innately different.

So, let’s compare these 2 concepts and explore the daily routines of successful people to see how you can maximize productivity.

Daily routines and habits of highly productive people

What is the difference between routines and habits?

Although habits and routines are both regular and repeated activities, there’s a difference between them. 

According to a study on habitual behavior, we engage in habits subconsciously. Still, we rely on cues to remind us to start our habitual actions. 

For example, you may have a habit of brushing your teeth right after eating. So, finishing a meal and leaving your dining table would be your cue to head for the bathroom.

But, can routines also become second nature?

Unlike habits, routine behavior doesn’t depend on a trigger but requires conscious and deliberate effort.

For instance, a part of your daily routine may be going for a run. But, even if you enjoy physical activity, you’re not likely to walk outside and start running on autopilot.

In short, habits are automatic behaviors triggered by a cue while routines require intentional practice.

Track work and life habits

Why are routines and habits important?

The road to success is paved with consistent action. 

So, forming established routines and healthy habits is the best way to remain steadfast in chasing your goals.

Developing productive habits has many merits — whether you're focused on a particular goal or not.

According to a paper on lifestyle behaviors, habitual actions can improve your quality of life by promoting creativity and better mental health. 

When we form a habit out of a daily, time-consuming task, it becomes automatic and no longer demands our full attention. While that task is at the back of our minds, we can shift our focus to creative thinking.

Daily routines and habits of successful people

There’s no ultimate recipe for success. Still, routines and habits are a vital addition to the daily lives of many productive individuals. So, there must be a connection.

Let's connect the dots by looking at the daily routines of successful people and their list of habits.

#1: Barack Obama’s daily routine

The 44th president of the United States contributed to multiple changes in his country. But, with change came great responsibility, along with a jam-packed schedule.

As a self-proclaimed night owl, Obama frequently worked late into the night to manage his heavy workload.

🎓 Why Are You More Productive at Night (+ Tips for Night Owls)

Barack Obama’s schedule

The former president’s daily habits reflect his priorities — maintaining physical and mental health. Barack rarely left home before a workout and never skipped breakfast.

#2: Jack Dorsey’s daily routine

Before stepping down as the CEO of Twitter (now X), Dorsey balanced 2 different leading roles for 6 years.

The current CEO of Block, Inc. has embraced many unusual habits to stay on track with his tasks — like eating only 7 meals per week and organizing his workday around a theme. 

Having led 2 companies, Dorsey’s strict routine is worth checking out.

Jack Dorsey’s schedule

Day theming is a vital element of Jack Dorsey's daily schedule. By focusing on 1 work area per day, Dorsey managed to split his attention evenly between both businesses.

🎓 The Ultimate Time Blocking Guide (+ Time Blocking Apps)

#3: Oprah Winfrey’s daily routine

Popular talk show host and entrepreneur Oprah Winfrey is among the world’s most influential women. And despite her hectic schedule, she has mastered the art of time management.

Let's go over Oprah’s routine to uncover the secrets behind her thriving career.

Oprah Winfrey’s schedule

According to a study on the negative effects of phone alarms, being forced awake abruptly raises your energy levels — causing high morning blood pressure and heart rate. 

By letting her body gradually enter the stage of light sleep, Oprah wakes up naturally, feeling refreshed. But if you must rely on alarms, sleep next to an alarm clock instead of your phone, as Arianna Huffington of The Huffington Post suggests. 

Additionally, reflecting on blessings lifts Oprah’s mood, preventing stress and improving her mental health.

Track your daily routine

#4: Elon Musk’s daily routine

As the CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, and X (formerly Twitter), Elon Musk is one of the world’s busiest people.

Known for his time blocking habits, Musk’s time management skills continue to amaze the public. Despite working long hours and plotting Mars colonization with NASA, Musk still finds time for leisure activities.

Let's find out how Elon structures his days.

Elon Musk’s schedule

Showering in the morning boosts Elon’s brainpower. Based on a paper about showering benefits, evening showers regulate your circadian rhythm while morning showers improve critical thinking.

By time blocking and dividing days between companies, Musk successfully maintains control over his time and stays productive.

#5: Anna Wintour’s daily routine

The name of Vogue’s editor-in-chief has become synonymous with power and influence in the fashion industry. Still, Anna Wintour had to develop effective time management skills to grapple with her busy lifestyle.

So, how does Dame Anna Wintour manage her schedule to stay ahead of the fashion curve?

Anna Wintour’s schedule

Waking up early helps Anna Wintour secure enough time to exercise, have breakfast, and stay ahead of the latest fashion news.

#6: Tim Cook’s daily routine

The Apple CEO, handpicked by his predecessor Steve Jobs, has helped the company reach new milestones — from multiple product launches to subscription services.

Although a private person, Cook has revealed bits of his day as the CEO of Apple.

Tim Cook’s schedule

An early wake-up call keeps Tim’s mornings predictable, giving him a sense of control and comfort.

By spending time with staff, Cook promotes discipline, builds mutual respect, and stays updated on company developments.

#7: Bill Gates’ daily routine

Bill Gates has remained among the wealthiest entrepreneurs since 1999 when he reached centibillionaire status (a person worth over 100 billion dollars or other currency). After stepping down as the Microsoft CEO, Gates turned his attention to charitable activities.

Thanks to Gates’ daily routine, he leads a fulfilling life, even with his business ventures. 

Bill Gates’ schedule

Nowadays, the software genius carefully tracks his length and quality of sleep to keep his mind sharp. Gates also uses his leisure time to increase brainpower with productive activities for the mind and body. 

#8: Angela Merkel’s daily routine

During her 16-year tenure, Angela Merkel gained popularity as Germany’s first female chancellor — earning the nickname Mutti Merkel (“Mother Merkel”).

But, with immense political power comes a handful of daily responsibilities.

Angela Merkel’s schedule

The politician’s daily recreational activities indicate that she understood the benefits of physical activity.

#9: Queen Elizabeth’s daily routine

During her 70-year reign, Queen Elizabeth II followed a detailed plan to keep up with various royal duties. Here’s what a typical day was like for the late British monarch.

Queen Elizabeth’s schedule

By following a strict routine, she remained on top of her responsibilities and secured enough time for leisure activities.

Track your daily routine

#10: Virginia Woolf’s daily routine

Virginia Woolf is a celebrated modernist writer, whose best-known works include Mrs. Dalloway and To the Lighthouse.

Despite her struggles with depression and anxiety, Woolf managed to stay focused by keeping a strict routine.

Virginia Woolf's schedule

A rigid schedule helped Woolf reduce distractions and stay on track with her writing goals.

By scheduling breaks and meals, the writer successfully prevented overworking.

Additionally, Woolf’s diary-keeping habit refined her writing skills, increasing productivity.

#11: John Milton’s daily routine

The renowned author of Paradise Lost remained a prolific writer even after losing his sight at age 43.

Despite his blindness, Milton published more than 15 works by relying on dictation.

John Milton’s schedule

Going to bed early enabled John to get up before dawn. This healthy sleeping habit helped restore his energy levels.

#12: Benjamin Franklin’s daily routine

One of America’s Founding Fathers, Benjamin Franklin, wore many hats — he was a scientist, businessman, writer, and printer.

So, here’s a list of habits that formed Benjamin Franklin’s productive routine.

Benjamin Franklin's schedule

Franklin’s time blocking strategy shows that he reserved his most productive hours for deep work.

Taking regular, effective breaks to engage in activities like having meals and socializing allowed him to recharge and improve his work performance.

Track break time with Clockify

#13: Susan Sontag’s daily routine

Amid the 20th century, American intellectual Susan Sontag shook New York’s cultural scene with her thought-provoking essays and political activism.

To overcome procrastination, she developed a set of strict rules.

Susan Sontag’s schedule

To combat distractions, Susan Sontag devised a clever rule — don't respond to phone calls if you're trying to get something done.

#14: Pablo Picasso’s daily routine

The revolutionary art of Pablo Picasso earned him a spot on the list of 1900s’ most important artists. The prolific Spanish painter and sculptor has produced around 50,000 artworks in his lifetime. So, he must have had a rigid daily routine. Let’s go through it.

Pablo Picasso’s schedule

Picasso’s list of habits reveals his unusual tendency to work deep into the night. Clearly, Pablo’s vast artwork collection shows that he recognized his peak productive hours.

Naturally, everyone has a different productivity rhythm — whether you’re a morning lark, night owl, or something in between. So, you should keep a productivity journal during the day to pinpoint your optimal working time and align your schedule with it.

#15: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s daily routine

The famous Austrian composer wrote over 600 pieces of music during the classical period. His worldwide popularity even sparked the myth that Mozart’s music enhances cognitive abilities — known as the “Mozart effect.”

Besides his brilliance, a carefully planned schedule also contributed to his success.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s schedule

A glimpse into the composer's lifestyle reveals his strategy for reaching goals — dedicating separate parts of the day to different activities.

🎓 Everything you need to know about time management (+ tips)

#16: Ludwig Van Beethoven's daily routine

The admired German composer lost his hearing in his 40s. Yet, he remained loyal to his craft, composing the famous Ninth Symphony.

His daily routine might explain his perseverance and productivity despite his hearing loss.

Ludwig Van Beethoven's schedule

According to research on sleep health, Beethoven maintained healthy sleep habits — keeping a regular sleep schedule and getting enough hours of sleep. A good night’s rest improves attention and memory, which allowed him to spend 8 hours composing and lead an active social life.

#17: Maya Angelou’s daily routine

Apart from being the first female inaugural poet in US history, Maya Angelou is famous for her unusual writing routine.

Maya Angelou’s schedule

Maya Angelou ensured uninterrupted focus by writing in hotel rooms to avoid disturbances.

#18: Coco Chanel’s daily routine

The iconic fashion designer and businesswoman achieved greatness through hard work. Her timeless elegance is reflected in her simple everyday routine.

Coco Chanel’s schedule

Although Coco Chanel prioritized work and didn’t take breaks, she managed to adjust her schedule to her biological rhythm.

#19: Sigmund Freud’s daily routine

Sigmund Freud’s dedication to developing revolutionary theories cemented him as the founder of psychoanalysis. However, he also spent long hours treating patients in his private practice.

To maintain a healthy work-life balance, Freud carefully structured his day.

Sigmund Freud’s schedule

The Austrian neurologist often had long workdays, spending at least 10 hours on patient care. Yet, Freud overcame mental exhaustion and restored his energy levels by including regular breaks and physical activity in his daily routine.

#20: Victor Hugo’s daily routine

The Romantic French writer Victor Hugo produced novels that stand the test of time — from The Hunchback of Notre Dame to Les Misérables.

But, he's also known for combating procrastination with his unusual writing habits.

Victor Hugo’s schedule

Victor’s curious daily habits yielded positive results. Writing in isolation allowed him to remain focused. Additionally, he led a healthy personal life by scheduling social activities.

What do successful people have in common?

Based on the daily habits of successful people, here are the main commonalities that form a productive routine.

Strict schedule

The daily routines of famous personalities rarely change, which helps them maintain a healthy work-life balance. 

According to the daily rituals of successful leaders, following a consistent routine keeps distractions at bay and raises your productivity levels.

Getting up early

Many entrepreneurs are early birds. After all, morning people tend to have healthy sleep patterns, leading to more energy, better organization, and higher efficiency.

As mentioned in our schedule examples, the best morning routine includes self-care activities, like:

Exercising

Most successful people engage in some form of daily exercise — from walking to working out. Overall, regular physical activity is tied to better focus and lower stress levels.

Interestingly, a survey on morning vs. night workouts shows that people who exercise in the morning are 129% more likely to believe it improves productivity at work. 

However, if you're most productive in the morning, we suggest you prioritize work and exercise later.

Eating breakfast

Most successful people don’t skip the first meal of the day. Likewise, you should start your day with breakfast to get the initial energy boost you need for the day’s activities.

In fact, nutritionists advise against skipping breakfast since it negatively affects your mental performance — especially your memory and concentration. 

Time blocking

Crafting a schedule means you've allocated a specific time to each activity. But some entrepreneurs take this to the next level.

For example, Musk assigns different days to different companies while Dorsey dedicates each day to a certain work area. Others complete their work in multiple sessions, taking productive breaks in between, like Sigmund Freud.

With time blocking, you can achieve daily goals and prevent burnout by scheduling leisure activities.

Use time blocking now

A day in the life of an American

The American Time Use Survey (ATUS) revealed the average amount of time Americans spent on regular activities in 2023:

How Americans spend their day

For the average Joe, sleep and work take up most of the day, followed by leisure activities, housework, and childcare.

How can you become a highly productive person?

The daily routines of successful people prove that consistency is key to increasing your productivity levels. Still, that doesn’t explain how you can adjust your list of habits for that purpose.

So, here are our top 4 tips for creating a successful routine that you’ll stick to.

1) Prioritize your night routine

The best morning routine starts with a good night’s rest. However, that will depend on how you spend your evenings. That’s why you should put your nights first when planning a schedule.

A study on the effects of sleep quality confirms that sleep deprivation causes job stress, and, by default, productivity loss. Based on over 3,000 responses, the survey shows that:

But, how can you tell if your sleep schedule is off?

First, ask yourself the following questions:

  1. How would you describe your sleep quality?
  2. How many hours of shuteye do you get per night?

If the answers suggest something wrong about your sleep pattern, make changes to increase productivity.

To fix your sleep schedule and get 7-9 hours of shuteye, research on sleep health advises you to:

Improving your sleep habits is a necessary step toward boosting your work performance and overall health.

2) Leverage your peak productivity time

To form a winning daily routine, you need to identify your peak productivity hours or your biological prime time — the time of day when you experience optimal energy and focus. Taking advantage of your most productive hours will help you avoid overwork.

To illustrate, imagine you're a UX designer whose main focus is research analysis. If you start your day by checking emails and delay important tasks, you may end up working overtime.

So, what’s the best strategy to use your peak productive hours?

You can try time tracking to ensure you finish the toughest tasks during your focus time. By tracking time spent per task, you can easily figure out how long it takes you to complete it.

As a result, you'll be able to pinpoint the exact parts of the day when certain tasks come easier to you. And here’s how you get there. 

On Monday, upon logging into the time tracking app, do one of your most important tasks first. Simply start the timer and stop once you finish each task.

On Tuesday, start your task later in the day and let the timer tell you how long you've worked on it.

After a while, you'll have enough data to recognize a pattern in your workflow. With this information, you can organize your work schedule to fit the biggest tasks into your most productive hours.

Schedule time blocks with Clockify

3) Don’t ignore your to-do list

Many people create to-do lists only to push them aside during work. Others fail to check off all of the list items for various reasons — whether it's additional work or a poorly planned day.

Regardless, following to-do lists should be part of your daily routine — with undeniable pros like:

But, how can you use your to-do lists effectively?

According to research on to-do lists, only around 40% of tasks get checked off. So, make sure that your priorities are included in that percentage. The study provides other useful tips, such as:

Generally, creating checklists gives you a sense of order and sets a clear intention — improving your chances of following through.

4) Make time for self-care

Finding enough time for self-care activities before jumping into work can decrease your chances of burnout and ensure optimal productivity.

The facts speak for themselves: Health experts on burnout prevention say that people who spend 20% of their time on personal interests are less likely to experience burnout. 

Based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the most popular leisure activities are:

Despite your often chaotic schedule, try to set aside at least 15-20 minutes of self-care time. Drinking a glass of water only takes a moment! This practice will help you perk up, recharge, and handle the rest of the day without feeling overwhelmed.

Build a routine for everyday success — with Clockify

After poring over the daily routines of successful people, we can confidently say that no 2 routines are the same.

Yet, each has led to career growth and productivity thanks to effective time management.

So, how you organize your time around daily activities can impact the trajectory of your success — whether you’re a regular Joe or an industry leader.

With a time-tracking companion like Clockify, you can put your day up for review and create a routine that sticks. Simply follow 3 simple steps:

  1. Record each activity using the timer or timesheets,
  2. Use reports to plan tasks around your peak productivity hours, and
  3. Check your real-time progress on the dashboard to stay consistent.
Timesheets in Clockify
Timesheets in Clockify

Before long, you’ll establish a winning routine and climb the ranks to become a highly productive person.

Get started with Clockify