“I’m not as productive as you might think I am,” Mr Bezos said.
Despite his demanding roles as executive chairman of Amazon, owner of Blue Origin, and a billionaire investor, Jeff Bezos prioritizes a relaxed start to his day. In a recent Lex Fridman Podcast interview, the 60-year-old revealed a surprising habit: he begins his mornings by taking things slow, scrolling through his phone like many others. This admission caught Fridman off guard, as he had just introduced Bezos as “one of the most productive people in the world.”
“I’m not as productive as you might think I am,” Mr Bezos responded, in an episode first released in December 2023. “First of all, I get up in the morning and I putter. I have a coffee … and just slowly move around.”
His morning routine also includes reading a newspaper and chatting with his fiance before heading to the gym for cardio and weightlifting. “Most days, [going to the gym is] not that hard for me, but some days it’s tough and I do it anyway,” he said.
The morning ritual aligns with Mr Bezos’ belief in embracing aimlessness, which extends to the workplace. He advocates for allowing the mind to wander during brainstorming sessions, fostering creativity without the limitations of time.
Mr Bezos attributes his early morning routine to waking up early, though he hasn’t disclosed a specific wake-up time. At an event in 2018, he mentioned, “I go to bed early, I get up early.”
Well, he is not the only billionaire with a non-rushed morning. Mark Cuban told comedian Trevor Noah’s “What Now?” podcast in January that he wakes up between 6.30 am and 7 am each morning and checks his emails for about an hour before getting out of bed.
Then, he eats breakfast, works out and checks his email again. “Rinse and repeat,” said Cuban.
Don’t be fooled by the laid-back appearance! According to Geir Berthelsen, founder of the World Institute of Slowness, taking it slow in the mornings can boost your energy, creativity, and focus.
In a 2019 Wall Street Journal interview, Berthelsen even recommended spending at least 20 minutes each morning doing absolutely nothing – think lying in bed after the alarm goes off. For those who prefer a more structured approach, other experts suggest incorporating calming activities like meditation or breathing exercises into their morning routine.
“Business leaders need to take time to forget about time, and that helps them be creative when they arrive at work,” said Berthelsen. “That’s the goal of doing this before going into the workplace.”
Filling your morning with too many tasks or interruptions is “probably the biggest loss of productivity,” he added.
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