Here’s the daily schedule he adhered to, which he shared in his autobiography.
Looks pretty familiar, right? Franklin’s habits would have allowed him to thrive in today’s fast-paced world, just as they did in the 18th century.
He got up early and primed his mind and body for the day ahead.
He had a mindfulness practice.
He planned (“contrived”) his day’s business.
He set aside time for meaningful work.
He took breaks from work to stay on top of life’s minutiae (“look over my accounts”).
He ended his day with a shutdown routine, which involved getting himself organized for the next day (“put things in their order”).
He set an intention for himself (“what good shall I do this day?”).
He reviewed his progress (“what good have I done today?”).
He stepped away from his work to recharge his batteries (“music or diversion or conversation”).
He got 7 hours of sleep.
Benjamin Franklin had small daily habits that allowed him to write “Poor Richard’s Almanack,” invent the lightning rod and bifocal glasses, co-author the Declaration of Independence, and accomplish many other amazing feats.
Habits are the small decisions we make and actions we perform every day. Our habits make us who we are.
Because we have limited time in the day, we also have limited capacity to form and implement habits. This means that the habits we adopt must be aligned with our life’s objectives.
Notice that Franklin spent no time or space describing the ambitious projects he worked on in his daily planner. Most of his attention was focused on the micro-habits, such as morning prayer, that enabled his achievement in other areas.
His days were structured in a way that eliminated the guesswork. He didn’t have to think about how he’d spend his morning and burn finite mental energy in the process—his actions were habitual.
Micro-habits allow us to move through our days effortlessly and get more meaningful work done, whether that’s exercising, spending purposeful time with family, tackling important projects at work, or all of the above.
When we grease the wheels or our day with micro-habits, we facilitate the actions that will take us closer to achieving our goals.
Want to save money?: Plan out your weekly meal menu in advance so you’re not defaulting to expensive carry-out meals.
Want to exercise more?: Lay out your workout clothes and shoes the night before.
Want to sleep better: Put your phone in a kitchen drawer and get an old-fashioned alarm clock for your nightstand.
If you want to create sustainable change in your life, don’t focus on the outcome you desire. Focus on the small behaviors that will lead to the outcome. Tiny decisions and actions can make a huge impact.
Jay Harrington is an author, lawyer-turned-entrepreneur, and runs a northern Michigan-inspired lifestyle brand and blog called Life and Whim. He lives with his wife and three young girls in northern Michigan.
This story was originally published on the Life and Whim Blog.
