Famous people have strange work habits

Nate (@natelowry) pointed me at an interesting article detailing the daily routines of 25 famous thinkers. The article (from onlinecollege.org) gives a few details into the lives people like C.S. Lewis, Benjamin Franklin and Winston Churchill.

I really like articles like these. They are short, interesting and give the reader a sense of attachment with the people they are reading about. It reminds me of the book series On the John University. The books contain short passages to be read on the john (hence the name). Content in this form is intriguing, educational and just the right length.

Some of the people mentioned in the article match their routines very well. Barack Obama is on a strict schedule all day, but still eats breakfast and dinner with his family. Charles Darwin kept a very tight schedule as well. Ernest Hemingway, in contrast, is much different. He would write until he had said what he needed to say. That would be a dream job for a man of few words.

My favorite daily routine was Winston Churchill's. He would get up at 7:30 am but not leave bed until 11. during this time he would eat breakfast, read and dictate to secretaries. He would work for the rest of the day (squeezing in a 2.5 hour working lunch). After a post work nap, Churchill would have dinner and socialize until roughly midnight. He would then get some more work done before bed.

Here is how I think it went down. Churchill woke up every morning (hungover) at 7:30 am. After getting out of bed (and his first cocktail) he would work until lunch. Lunch always ran long (more drinks) and he was out of the office by 5 pm (happy hour). After a quick nap, Churchill would entertain dinner guests (Does whiskey count as a guest?) well into the night. After realizing that he should get some last minute work done, he buckles down and finishes his day (by passing out at his desk).

I had a few takeaways from this interesting article:

• Get up early. Anyone who is getting anything done gets up very early.
• Take time for non-work. It is surprising how much time these great thinkers spend not working.

Check out the article here - http://www.onlinecollege.org/2010/01/11/25-famous-thinkers-and-their-inspiring-daily-rituals/

Review of On the John University - http://maggiereads.blogspot.com/2009/12/on-john-university-us-history-copy.html

Getting Things Done with Moleskine

About a month ago, I purchased a Moleskine notebook. It has been the subject of some critcism (jokingly I'm sure) but I really like it and have made part of my daily struggle to get things done.


I have always been a great note-taker. Even though I don't know shorthand, I can transcribe a content filled lecture pretty easily. I even have a notebook dedicated to each class, and most of the time they get filled about 3/4ths of the way through the class. This system works great on a day where I am 100% focused on the task at hand - but that rarely is the case.

Whenever I have a thought that I can develop in my head for longer than 30 seconds, I try to put it in writing in the Moleskine to see if it still makes sense. If it passes that test, then I look into the idea later when I can do additional research. The Moleskine book has become the starting point for all of my recent ideas and acts as a good pad for taking notes at a meeting without an agenda.

I separate ideas and things to do in the notebook by date. This makes it easier to remember when I had a meeting or came up with an idea. It also forces me to address all of the day's items before I lay my head (a phrase I commonly write in the book). I have taken a liking to this approach of decompressing (like a daily retrospective) information, it keeps me up to date and keeps due dates at the front of my mind.

Even though they seem a bit hipster, I would suggest that everyone carry a page-per-day notebook (and a pen of course). It is the first step in my GTD strategy - more steps will be detailed in near future posts. Please, post comments related to the first step of your Getting Things Done process/strategy. I would love to hear a few different perspectives on how an initial thought is developed into an idea.

Google Docs to Get Things Done

In the next 3 weeks, I will be moving out of my cozy dormitory and into a house. Also, in the next three weeks, myself and 7 friends are going to Italy (for a week of Linguine!) Since both of these activities are happening at once with many different people involved, I have been having a hard time keeping things straight.

Just recently, my use of Google Docs (and Google Calendar) has reached critical mass - I have transitioned all of my personal notes to Google Docs, along with my other todo lists and information. I never thought it would happen, but I am using Google Docs everyday. I have finally been able to update notes fast enough for them to become living documents. Living documents is a phrase that I have used to describe documents (mostly software documentation) but have never actually seen them come alive.



I think that it is important to have a Getting Things Done (GTD) Strategy, and Google Docs serves as the end of the day resource to catalogue and organize the organizeable parts of my life. After I log a days worth of notes (why yes, I do use one), I decompress them at the end of the night. I can expand and organize project ideas that strike me during the day. Throughout the course of the day, I pick up alot of book recommedations (like Daivd Allen's book on GTD) and blog post ideas, so I can remember them when it is time to read/blog.

A great advantage of my nightly decompression is that it puts me back in front of past ideas. This allows me to keep other ideas current and cull out older, nonsensical ideas.

Much to the dismay of Nate, Paul and Matt, Google Docs are collaborative documents - so just call me Shawn Fanning because I'm sharing the love. I shared two spreadsheets about our Italy trip (adding to our growing library on Google Docs) and two more spreadsheets about the house we are all about to move into. Two of the sheets were shared within 10 minutes of each other.

This may seem excessive, but it gets the job done. One particular use of the shared documents will surely work out well - Sharing group expenses on a Google Spreadsheet is fast and easy - a perfect fit for any group that will have to settle up their finances at the end of their trip. I got this idea from a group of friends that were Spring breaking in Texas. They utilized a shared expense sheet to distribute gas, hotels, beer and other expenses across 8 people.



I am slowly becoming a fan of Google Docs, but I can't wait to see how Microsoft Office performs online. I'll post more about GTD, but until then, check out Lifehacker - you won't be disappointed.