"Routine, in an intelligent man, is a sign of ambition." – W.H. Auden
We all seek success and meaning in our lives. Yet that pursuit can feel nebulous, with no clear path to get there.
Groundbreaking psychologist Jordan Peterson has deeply explored what creates a well-lived, purposeful life. And surprisingly, part of the formula lies in habitually optimizing how you spend each day.
Peterson views imposing structure and routine not as limiting, but paradoxically freeing when done strategically. The right routine removes obstacles, paves the way to meaningful goals, and clarifies our highest priorities.
In this expanded guide, we’ll break down the key elements of Peterson‘s own routine for increased productivity and fulfillment. They offer science-based principles anyone can apply to consciously design days brimming with achievement and significance.
The Foundation: Details of Peterson’s Personal Daily Routine
To contextualize the deeper lessons of Peterson’s routine, let’s first understand exactly what his days entail.
The most detailed account comes from YouTuber Ben Stevenson, who tried adopting Peterson’s routine for a full week in a popular video. What he discovered was intense—Peterson works 14-hour days and follows his routine rigorously. Still, by week’s end, Stevenson felt the most productive he ever had.
Here are the key components:
The Same Wake Up Time: Peterson starts each day at 5 AM, even on weekends, to align with circadian rhythms promoting mental health.
An Unconventional Breakfast: Typically high-protein, low-carb, high healthy fat (meats, eggs, nuts, vegetables) to sustain energy and mental clarity.
Planning in the A.M.: He carves out 1 hour to structure the full day hour-by-hour in his calendar to maximize efficiency.
Tackling the Biggest Task First: Devoting 2-3 hours of peak mental energy first thing to projects requiring deepest concentration.
Working in Focused Blocks: He labors intensely for 2-4 hours straight on a single task before taking 10-15 minute breaks.
Logging Off by 5-6 PM: He stops working entirely in the early evening to spend a few hours relaxing with family before bed at the same consistent time.
Understanding the psychology behind WHY Peterson operates this way unlocks the lessons we can extract to design better days ourselves—ones directing energy towards what matters most.
The Genius Behind the Method
Peterson‘s routine ultimately seems meticulously designed to enhance four pillars of a purposeful, accomplished life:
Productivity
Prioritization
Purpose
People
Let‘s explore what science says about each area and how they promote success.
Enhancing Productivity
Peterson organizes his days for intense productivity towards long-range goals. Two elements especially fuel this efficiency: planning out days comprehensively and drastically limiting distractions.
The Power of Planning
Peterson spends each morning outlining the next 16 hours: when he’ll work, take breaks, exercise and relax.
Psychologists call this “prospective memory”—the process of encoding intentions and plans for the future. Having an agenda prepared renders the day smooth and eliminates wasted mental energy reconsidering what to do next.
In a study on family routines published in the Journal of Comparative Family Studies, researchers concluded household routines save time over needing to repeatedly make decisions. They also noted participants with routines spent more quality time together.
So while meticulously planning out full days may seem rigid, the benefits become quickly apparent in the boost to productivity and relationships.
Flow States Through Deep Work
With no aimless Internet browsing or unnecessary meetings, Peterson devotes his hours almost solely to priorities requiring deep critical thinking.
He structures days around 1-2 cognitively demanding projects, laboring in 2-4 hour uninterrupted blocks before taking short breaks.
This adheres to the increasingly popular concept of “deep work” – concentrating without distraction on a mentally-demanding task. Leadership professor Cal Newport popularized this tactic in his book Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World.
Studies back up the brain benefits as well. In fMRI research on distractability published in Human Brain Mapping, University of California Irvine scientists found people bombarded with digital interruptions had less brain density in areas associated with cognitive functioning.
“People find it difficult to both quickly process irrelevant stimuli and return to cognitively demanding tasks,” the paper notes. The result? Shallower thinking less suited for intellectually rigorous work.
This likely explains why ultra-successful figures like Mark Zuckerberg and Barack Obama similarly structure days around deep thinking by eliminating disruptions. Their limited wardrobe choices also reflect this prioritization of mental resources towards fewer daily decisions.
Optimal Balance of Focused Blocks
To maximize the benefits from deep work, proper balance between intense focus and renewal is key. The following table outlines evidence-based recommendations researchers have proposed for varying tasks:
| Type of Work | Optimal Focus Block Duration | Optimal Break Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Writing/Creating | 3-4 hours | 10-15 minutes |
| Analytical Work | 1-2 hours | 15-20 minutes |
| Admin Tasks | 30-60 minutes | 10-15 minutes |
Keep these ranges in mind when structuring days between deep efforts and recovery in your own routine.
Prioritizing for Importance
Peterson begins mornings by tackling his most important responsibility – the project requiring his deepest mental effort.
This follows famed time management consultant Alan Lakein‘s widely cited advice to “eat the frog first” – do your biggest, most difficult task early when self-control bests strongest.
Tackling priorities when concentration peaks sets you up to plow through other items later efficiently when fatigue starts setting in. Peterson leverages this effect by organizing days around one to two huge challenges first, before lighter work.
You see this strategy echoed across history‘s most prolific figures as well. Charles Darwin stuck to a strict schedule beginning at 7:00 AM daily, his prime focus time reserved for difficult thinking and writing.
Benjamin Franklin famously asked himself the clarifying morning question, “What good shall I do today?” He also allocated daily blocks for key priorities in 5-year plans.
So while beginning days by reacting to whatever loudest demand vies for attention may seem easiest, evidence suggests otherwise. Purposefully prioritizing what best leverages your mental sharpness leads to success.
Living with Purpose
True achievement includes looking beyond surface productivity too. Here Peterson’s routine incorporates heavier concepts like discovering purpose and integrating our shadow selves.
He infuses days with small moments of deeper reflection through practices like reading philosophy, listening to classical music while getting ready, consciously dressing up, and spending time in nature during breaks.
For instance, speaker Ben Stevenson began reading dense philosophy texts in his PetersCon experiment, which initially intimidated him. Yet it expanded his worldview. He explains: “Embrace your shadow, understand it consciously…if one does that, then the things you don‘t want to confront actually make you stronger.”
This reflects the Jungian idea of the "shadow archetype" – those aspects of ourselves we dislike and ignore, but integrating makes us more whole. Peterson sees tending the philosophical gardens in our routine as crucial for a meaningful, examined life.
Other famously prolific writers also tapped morning routines to connect with purpose. Franz Kafka began each day appreciatively observing the world’s splendor, fueling his imaginative fiction works. Hal Elrod’s Miracle Morning ritual of gratitude, meditation and affirmations sparked his career turnaround after nearly dying.
So while it‘s tempting to view self-enriching routines as less crucial than professional tasks, they act as the foundation that meaning springs from.
The Importance of People Time
Finally, Peterson stresses relationships as central to overall well-being. Hence he completely unplugs after 5 PM for quality time with family before bed. His routine balances driven productivity with renewing human connection off-hours.
This reflects what 75-year Harvard happiness study says contributes most to life satisfaction – strong interpersonal relationships. While Peterson may toil purposefully for 14 hours in his routine, he preserves evening space for loved ones too.
Other research backs up this emphasis as well:
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A Brigham Young University study reviewing nearly 300 studies linking marriage to health found happily married couples enjoy better mental and physical health on average. They also live longer with fewer chronic illnesses and greater positive health behaviors.
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In a meta-analysis of over 300,000 participants on social relationships published in PLoS Medicine, researchers found individuals with stronger relationships had 50% higher odds of survival irrespective of health status. The connection was even stronger than quitting smoking.
So while work demands might intuitively feel most urgent, evidence clearly suggests relationships most nourish overall well-being – and therefore deserve protected space in daily routines.
Be Like Mike? Principles to Apply From Peterson‘s Routine
So how can we take lessons from Jordan Peterson’s intense routine example to improve our own days? Here are research-backed ideas to consider trying:
Craft Intentional Mornings
Make time to consciously plan upcoming hours when self-discipline peaks after waking so you act intentionally vs reactively all day. Outline priority projects, breaks, transport, appointments.
Knowing the structure ahead saves mental strength previously spent scheduling, freeing you up for deeper work. Consider blocking out specific chunks of time for types of tasks using the optimal durations suggested earlier.
Limit Distractions to Reach Flow States
Our willpower depletes fast when constantly switching between tasks and apps. Instead, structure your toughest project first thing when energy bests highest, devoting your precious morning focus like a non-renewable resource towards deep work.
Then continue buffering that project in long blocks between short breaks across the day for further progress free of disruptions that fractured thinking.
Adopt Energy-Based Scheduling
Pay attention to when you feel most productive and creative, design days accordingly. Match activities to energy levels: analytical work during peaks, lighter items as strength wanes later.
Save mundane responsibilities requiring less mental horsepower for afternoons as needs be, grouping similar tasks to plow through efficiently together in blocks before rewarding breaks.
Infuse Days With Meaning
Don’t neglect enrichment just because it feels less “productive”. Carve out small purpose pockets for philosophy, music, dressing intentionally, being in nature. Peterson says routine creates structure so we have “space for the magical to manifest itself.”
Consider keeping a gratitude journal, or take a pause for mini-meditation to recentre. Repeating little rituals channels meaning by the consistent act of making time for reflection.
Protect People Time
No matter the day‘s demands, safeguard an evening technology-free oasis focusing fully on family and friends. Make relationships the charged climax of each day‘s routine, not an afterthought. Bond and be fully present over dinner or final cups of tea sans distractions.
Two Sample Peterson-Inspired Routines
Does Peterson’s ambitious 14-hour routine seem unrealistic for your life? Fortunately, his principles adapt across contexts. Below are two samples applying his lessons to different schedules.
Consider creating your own personalized routine blueprint accounting for your needs and constraints using the most applicable tactics.
Balanced Routine for 9-5 Working Professional
| Time | Task |
|---|---|
| 5:30 AM | Wake up, get ready while listening to uplifting audio |
| 6:00 AM | Walk dog, light exercise |
| 6:30 AM | Big healthy breakfast with family |
| 7:00 AM | Help kids get ready for school |
| 7:30 AM | Drive kids to school |
| 8:15 AM | Commute to work, listen to industry podcast |
| 8:45 AM | Outline today’s tasks & meetings. Prioritize most mentally demanding project first. |
| 9:00 AM | Work on priority project for 2-3 focused hours |
| 11:30 AM | Lighter admin tasks before lunch break |
| 12:00 PM | Lunch break with coworkers |
| 1:00 PM | More administrative tasks – email catchups, analyze reports |
| 3:30 PM | Commute home, catch up personal calls |
| 5:00 PM | Prepare & eat early dinner with family |
| 6:30 PM | Quality time with kids – homework, play games, read stories |
| 8:30 PM | Free time with partner – talk, watch TV, intimacy |
| 10:00 PM | Get ready for bed to ensure enough sleep |
This sample balances the principles of energy-based scheduling, relationship time, and finding flow through projects between breaks across a traditional Monday to Friday.
Ambitious Entrepreneur‘s Routine
Dedicating serious effort towards launching a business while preserving fulfillment and self-care requires rigor. This schedule builds in intense focus blocks on priorities between renewing activities.
| Time | Task |
|---|---|
| 5:00 AM | Wake up, light exercise to stimulate focus |
| 6:00 AM | Brainstorm ideas & plan detailed schedule while drinking tea |
| 7:00 AM | Big healthy breakfast to nourish high-intensity work |
| 8:00 AM | Deep work block on most intellectually demanding business priority |
| 11:00 AM | Short break for household chores and snack to refuel |
| 12:00 PM | Back to business priority task |
| 3:00 PM | Longer lunch break with family or friend |
| 4:00 PM | Take notes analysing morning work productivity over nice coffee |
| 5:00 PM | Knock out a few administrative tasks – emails, accounting etc. |
| 6:30 PM | Meet friend for early dinner outing to practice gratitude and catch up |
| 8:00 PM | Free evening for quality people time, fun recreational activity. |
| 10:00 PM | Get ready for early bed to ensure enough rest. |
This schedules distributes the intense strain of entrepreneurship through strategic energy investment in the biggest priorities when mental sharpness peaks. Realistically long breaks prevent burnout.
The Takeaway
Does imposing intent and routine through days sound overwhelming? Fortunately, no one must adopt Peterson’s exact ambitious methods or schedules.
Simply consider his approach: leveraging psychology and science to consciously design days for greater achievement. Reflect on your own tendencies and constraints.
Then try applying a few of the most applicable lessons around planning, focus, energy levels and people time each day, observing the compound results after a few weeks.
Keep tweaking activities or durations until discovering your own optimal routine that aligns with priorities. A purposeful, accomplished life awaits through structured, intentional days alive with productivity and meaning.