We have a toddler, 2 full-time jobs, and a nanny who comes to our house from 10-4 during the week. I'm an early riser and also breastfeeding, so I take the early mornings, and I feed the baby about 6 times a day, wherever it fits into my schedule that day.
6am - me+baby wake up, breakfast and coffee.
7:30ish - husband wakes up and takes over baby while I go for a run or do housework/work.
9am - baby takes morning nap, I work.
12-12:30 - lunch
12:30-4 - work
4-6 - me+husband rotate between child care, work, and making dinner
6-7:30 - dinner and baby bedtime routine
7:30-9 - relax/watch tv/putter around
9pm - bedtime
4am - baby's favorite time to scream for no apparent reason
There’s a lot of good examples of time schedules here but I have one thing I do every morning that helps me. I have a running notebook of things I need to do (just a daily log in OneNote). Before I start my day, I go through yesterday’s log and make sure I check off what I did. I add anything that’s obviously missing. I make a copy of this list in a note with today’s date. Then I look at my calendar and email and add anything that’s missing.
Next, I mark each item with a color for “must get done today”, “must get done this week”, and “can be later”. I create a new column and copy in the smaller list of what o want to do today. I add in personal stuff like a run, weights, meditation, laundry, etc.
As a third step I make a rough schedule for the day. It’s just text with some times and tasks. I try to make it under-aggressive. As the day goes on I adjust and check things off.
It helps keep me from feeling overwhelmed and makes sure I get the important things done first.
me & my wife has created shared google calendar just recently (it was really handy especially for me as I rely on calendar widgets on my android phone) - so I can now schedule some time off with acceptable notice period (mostly stuff related to kids, doctor visits etc.) - totally recommend this!
* Meditate (10-30 minutes depending on how I feel)
* Light yoga/stretching + daily journal
* Whatever workout is on the ultra marathon training plan
* shower then get to work
* 1pm lunch
* back to work
* if afternoon drowsiness sets in then its nap time, if not, keep working
* cook & eat while watching some tv
* depending on how I'm feeling either get some more work done or just relax
* get ready for bed + read + sleep usually around 10:30. I like to sleep.
Sundays are for debriefing last week and planning the next. On bad days, replace the work with playing animal crossing, cleaning, mindlessly browsing the internet, and switching between online courses & YouTube
I work for myself, so I definitely have the benefit of a flexible schedule. I used to be a product director, now I’m working on building a tool to scratch an itch I had in my past role.
Can’t speak to that person’s routine, but really depends on what your goals are.
I have no time goals or plans for an oraganized race. I just like to be in shape enough to do 30+ mile efforts about once a month w/ a 20-25 mile long run once a week and keep that up without injury.
My training is pretty simple.
I do 10 miles 2-3x a week. Mostly on flat roads but ending up at a nearby trail that has ~1,000 feet of climbing over 1.7 miles. My speed on the uphill section varies pretty wildly but by feel each effort feels nearly identical, tiring but by the time I finish I’m nowhere near exhausted. Average time for this route is probably 2 hours and 5 minutes (I did it 110 times last year).
On my long run day I try for around 20 miles with 2,000 - 3,000 feet of climbing. Sometimes instead of that, I’ll do a tougher 12-15 mile route with a similar amount of elevation. Again my goal is low to medium intensity with enough left over for another run the next day. My average pace here might be 12-15 minute miles.
I always run the day after the long run, usually 7-12 miles either flat or my 10 mile route described above. Just going off feel and what I’m capable of.
About once a week I do some kind of short fast intervals just because I like it. Something like 3x2 mile at a pretty fast pace (for me), like 8:15 per mile. Or 4 x 5 minutes at a little faster pace. Super easy jogs between intervals.
That usually adds up to 40-50 miles a week. I’ll drop down to 30-35 if I want a break.
When I’m at my “peak” fitness, I have no problem stretching the 20 mile long run to 30 or so. But it does take a little more recovery than I like and the risk of injury does seem to go up a bit.
My goal is healthy long distance running for decades so low intensity relaxed running is key for me.
Thanks for sharing your routine. I’ve been navigating the realms of long distance running for a few years and I’ve not been able to strike the balance between injury and effort so far. I’m aspiring to do an ultra next year (have done 35m previously but injured) and I’m seeking a routine/rhythm where I can crack that out without injuring myself. Thanks for your considered response!
Right. It's not as if I enjoy my current routine. I feel like I sleep pretty deeply and reasonably long, but somehow I never feel rested. So I end up in this groggy cycle of alarms until I've finally had enough and get up.
I used to work on side projects late into the night. Yeah, it'd be difficult to fall asleep on those nights. These days it's usually a mix of side projects and then winding down for 0.5/1 hour before going to bed at a reasonable hour, unless I have something particularly absorbing going on.
study for a couple of hours or work on a side project.
sleep, normally get to sleep around 1am ish.
It's a pain studying late but Ill have no motivation all day then it'll get late and I seem to be full of motivation so I can sometimes end up working on stuff till 3-4am.
Weekends normally involve sleeping till midday and drinking with mates.
6:30-8:00 Get kids ready for the day, drive them to daycare
8-17:30 Work (lunch jammed in somewhere for 15min. Sad.)
17:30-20:00 Dinner, family time
20-21 Getting the kid to bed (reading, etc.)
21-22:30 More work, since this is the only "quiet" time when I can get think-heavy stuff done without fighting back-to-back meetings and interruptions.
22:30-23:30 Another walk, maybe watch a show... anything to unwind
23:30 Sleep
Not at all happy with this. Too much work, and side projects and sufficient leisure time have been sacrificed.
All the parents with young children to take care of and still able to manage a working schedule while remaining sane and productive, you’re incredible. I don’t have any kids but props to you all.
Caveat: I have a family, so the below is typical but mixed with many spontaneous, unexpected events like burning toaster strudels:
- Wake up ~7:30
- Feed dogs, water plants, make coffee
- Run ~2.5 miles from 7:50 - 8:20
- Meditate for 10 minutes
- Start work
- Take break at 11:00, exercise for 45 minutes
- Protein shake, resume work
- Stop work around 5 - 5:30
- Make dinner
- Clean house, do repairs, watch Youtube, read a book, bills etc
- Sleep by 11:00, maybe 11:30
My wife has gone back to work for half-time (4hr/day), fortunately I work remotely in a remote-first company so we can handle the COVID situation like this:
(my wife works 07:00 - 11:00, back at home ~11:40)
- 07:00/08:00 - wake up, take care of 2 kids (breakfast, clothes etc.)
- xx:xx/11:00 trying to work while watching kids playing around/taking care of them (chat/documentation/tasks/emails/programming), sometimes I work on my side-projects
- 11:00 - daily standup at work (kids knows that they need to be silent/calm at that time as I do it in the same room where they are (to keep an eye on them as their 5 & 1.5yrs old))
- 11:40/19:00 - working in separate room focused, with coffee/lunch break in the meantime (at home, with family)
- 19:00/20:00 - bathing kids, dinner etc.
- 20:00/21:00 - sometimes further work if needed, or starting family time
- 21:00/22:00 - family time, putting kids to sleep
I feel I'm almost in your boat, but then I remember I use to always watch TV once or twice a week with my wife, go to church (well, kind of, not the mainstream one) on Sundays whwn I am allowed to and I always turn in my timesheets a day or two late ;-)
Wake up around 5. Go for a 2 mile walk. Make breakfast. Work until 11. Go for a 10 mile bike ride. Shower, get dressed, have lunch. Work until 2:30. Work on my side projects until 3:30. Go hang out with family until dinner. After dinner, spend some 1 on 1 time with a family member. Then read, draw or paint until bedtime, around 9.
10:00 - hopefully awake now, open laptop to appear online, shower
10:30 - try to eat something light
11:30 - first standup for 30+ minutes
2:00 - lunch
4:30 - second standup for another 30+ minutes, this meeting has lasted for 3 hours though
5:30-6 - keep laptop open to appear online but work has stopped
6 - watch youtube, read articles, play a game
7 - dinner
7:30 - games, exercise, leetcode, mock interviews, cleaning, whatever... lately mostly gaming but trying to get on that leetcode+exercise+mock interview train
1:00 - realize it's far too late and get ready for bed
2-3 - finally fall asleep in bed watching various videos because I can't fall asleep easily while under stress
Wake up around 7:30.
Coffe and oatmeal for breakfast.
Up to my office around 8 for work.
Sometime between 11 and 12 I go for a two hour bicycle ride.
Shower and lunch before my daily 2pm meeting.
Dinner at 5.
Play with the kids until 7.
Go through the kid's bedtime routine (brush teeth, sing, read, tuck them in)
Wife and I spend the rest of the evening together, usually listening to an audiobook (currently Way of Kings).
Sleep hopefully by 10 but insomnia means anytime between 10 and 2.
It’s not. And it’s only possible because I have no commute. Also any activities such as driving to hockey practice and so on will eat some of the free time (if hockey practice is at 3pm I’ll have to work a bit in the evening).
They fall asleep on their own. If could only give one piece of parenting advice it’s to make kids comfortable falling asleep on their own before they are 1.
Then I play some video games and take a 3-4km hike while talking to friends.
Dinner somewhere around 8:30
Then I waste time on HN, YouTube about anything and everything till I'm bored and sleep just before 1.
Weekends I do some household chores and pick a book on my kindle, currently reading Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life.
Although, this is when the project timelines allow me, when issues or deadlines pile up, my night times will be occupied and weekends will be filled with more work.
I'm actively trying to improve my lifestyle, but I feel I'm getting stagnated, and introducing new changes (workouts and yoga for eg.) are becoming very difficult and mentally tiring. I'm hoping you guys have some hack.
Why is that downvoted? Genuine question. It feels just as relevant as the other comments. Sure it's a specific case of someone having a newborn, but that's hardly uncommon and could apply to a lot of people here (if not now maybe later in life).
6:00-10:00 : Wake Up, Get Coffee, read two chapter of a book, and spend time outside.
10:00-11:00 : Family Breakfast
11:00-16:45 : Work or Study
16:45-18:15 : Drive to nearby park and work outdoors
18:15-19:45 : End work. Enjoy park.
every day:
6.30 wake up, breakfast, read news
7.10 (for workdays) go to office
10.00 eat an apple
11.30 lunch (while working)
12.00 (for workdays) cycle for one hour
15.00 eat an orange
17.00 (for workdays) go home
17.30 dinner
20.00 TV/Nintendo Switch
20.30 Listen to radio while doing random stuff (not work) in my private office
21.30 read a book
22.00 sleep
I starting my own business back on 2010. I used to work 60 hour weeks, trying to grow the business as fast and as much as possible. I realized a couple years ago that, that mentality was a bit of a trap and it was kind of pointless to do so. I scaled down and restructured so that I could live off of what I do with about 4 hours a day.
I work remotely doing Network Engineering in a big Canadian city that has a hockey team that actually wins things occasionally.
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Mon - Fri
* 0600 - 0630 -- Wake up. Coffee or Tea, either at home via Moka pot, or walk to one of the local places (depends on weather, opening, COVID, etc.). Usually a light breakfast, usually whatever is in the fridge (e.g. 1/2 cup yogurt + oatmeal, or couple slices of toast + peanutbutter, etc.)
* 0700 - 1500 (9-5 EDT). Work. Schedule varies based on projects and workflow, but usually a couple of quiet hours first thing in the morning, with tons of meetings in the afternoons (when the California crowd starts coming in to the office).
* Grab a shower anytime I can snag 15 minutes away
* 1000-1100 -- Try to get something that resembles lunch at 10-11am (12-1300 EDT), usually walk to something nearby that's open; lots more delivery these days due to COVID.
* ~1400-1500 -- Clock out of work, chill out around the house and decompress for a minute. Usually try to knock out any chores that have to be done during business hours (banking, etc.).
* 1500-1700 -- Workout / gym, depending on when I can get there. Gyms have re-opened, but require a booked time slot and are only good for 1 hour -- and that's fine, pretty much what I did pre-COVID.
* Usually hit the grocery store on the way back from the gym -- it's right next door.
* 1800-1900 -- Dinner. Try to stick to mostly protein & veg in the evenings, since lots of carbs at dinner keep me up. Maybe 1-2 alcoholic drinks depending on how I feel, but not common (maybe 1-3 drinks a week, tops).
* 1800-2200 -- Evening activities: watch netflix, putz around w/ projects, now that Steam is on Linux do some light gaming
* Aim to be in bed by 2200 (10pm), going to sleep before 2230.
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Sat-Sunday
* Saturday is my busy day, wake up early for volunteer work. If that's not going on I'm usually up at 9 and putz around playing games and drinking coffee. If I didn't hang out w/ friends on Friday then usually on Saturday.
* Lazy Sundays, usually. Household chores as needed.
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Any Day / Weekly
* No pets or kids, only plants. I water plants once a week, generally on weekends. The hydroponic systems get replenished as needed.
* Laundry on Wednesdays and Sundays, usually as needed
* Dishes usually every 2-3 days. I feel like I should be more diligent about it but usually it's a couple days at a stretch until I can't stand looking at it.
* Try to do yard work at least once or twice a month on weekends
* Try to get to the shooting range once a month when the weather permits; hunting and processing game as needed during the appropriate seasons.
* Usually trips to the mountains / parks during summer and shoulder seasons; skiing and skating during the winter. Usually try for once a month, sometimes more. Got a kayak a few months back and have been on the lake every week this summer
* Try to fly out to visit the family at least once or twice a year. Skype/Hangouts call w/ the fam usually every week or every other week. COVID has changed this -- no travel this year, me thinks -- but still doing the skype calls.
6am - me+baby wake up, breakfast and coffee. 7:30ish - husband wakes up and takes over baby while I go for a run or do housework/work. 9am - baby takes morning nap, I work. 12-12:30 - lunch 12:30-4 - work 4-6 - me+husband rotate between child care, work, and making dinner 6-7:30 - dinner and baby bedtime routine 7:30-9 - relax/watch tv/putter around 9pm - bedtime 4am - baby's favorite time to scream for no apparent reason