Steve Jobs' Daily Routine: Minimalism, Focus, and Ritual

 

Steve Jobs co-founded Apple in 1976. The technology company is the organization behind innovative products like the iPod, iPad, and iPhone. And today the company, brought to profitability by Jobs himself, is worth several trillions of dollars and runs a chain of retail stores with over 500 locations. Because of the success of his company, there is a lot of curiosity surrounding Jobs and his personal life. Before his tragic death from cancer in 2011, Steve Jobs was known for several things. These things include his infamously copied black turtlenecks and his incessant focus on the design of Apple's various products.

So, apart from his simple clothing choices what did Steve Jobs' daily routine look like?

Once when Job was asked what he did throughout the day, the founder responded with, "What I do all day is meet with teams of people and work on ideas and new problems to come up with new products."

This was an understatement.

Jobs usually began his day around 6 AM. As someone that practiced Zen Buddhism, Jobs often meditated in the early mornings. He was also known to follow a fruitarian diet, a way of eating that consists of fruit-based meals. He would begin work at 7 AM and immediately begin collaborating with his team. He was known to use walking meetings to communicate them. This not only saved time but allowed them to work their bodies while also using their minds.

For lunch, Jobs often ate with his colleagues and his midday involved much of the product development that he spoke about. He was known to have a desire to remove all unnecessary features so that devices could fit seamlessly into daily life. Minimalism was one of his guiding principles. He is famously quoted as having said, "simple can be harder than complex." 

After lunch and product development, Job dedicated several hours to the long-term vision of Apple. When he went home, he dedicated time to his family, journaled, and practiced continuous learning. He often studied philosophy, design and technology in his free time.

What can we learn from Steve Jobs' daily routine?

The future of your life and goals is just as important, if not more important, than the present. Jobs dedicated equal time to paying attention to both the present and future. He focused heavily on designing upcoming products but also spent time trying to foresee future trends and issues.