Apple co-founder Steve Jobs' morning routine & habits

I copied Steve Jobs’ morning routine for a week, from diet to outfit. Here’s how it went.

A legend, Steve Jobs. There is no question that the guy has left behind a legacy since business people today still look up to the way he managed a firm, dressed, and prepared for the day.

Although I can't guarantee that I can confirm exactly what the late American entrepreneur did every morning without fail, Jobs' morning ritual has been documented on several places online.

However, the former co-founder and CEO of Apple has always been referred to as careful and detail-oriented, so I presume he lead a very ordered existence.

It is understandable that many, including me, would want to try Steve Jobs's daily ritual for themselves given the continued importance of Jobs and Apple in our culture.

I know it won't make me successful right away (or even in a year), but I still wanted a piece of the apple that symbolizes Steve Jobs' morning routine.

6:15 a.m.: Get up and go

Steve Jobs claimed to be a "good morning person" who would awaken about six in an interview with TIME in 1999. The "ish" would be 15 more minutes of sleep, I decided.

Although I was able to awaken about the desired hour of 6:15AM, I wouldn't say I immediately began to be productive. In fact, I spent the better part of 10 minutes simply idly looking around social media—something I doubt Steve Jobs did.

6:25 a.m.: Donning the uniform

I finally succeeded in removing the blankets by myself. In contrast to most days, I didn't have to give my attire any thought.

Unfortunately, I don't own a black turtleneck by Issey Miyake, or any turtlenecks for that matter. However, that is not the purpose of Steve Jobs' attire.

The concept of having a uniform and something you can grab for in the morning without spending time or thought rather than his literal attire was the vibe I wanted to express.

I chose a pair of black sweater and blue trousers that I had prepared the day before.

6:30AM Morning chanting

One of the more intriguing things about Jobs that I've read is definitely this.

The entrepreneur allegedly stated the following in a Stanford graduating speech in 2005:

Every morning for the past 33 years, I have asked myself in the mirror: "Would I want to do what I am going to accomplish today if this were my final day on earth?" And anytime the response has been "No" for a stretch of time, I know I need to make a change.

I made the decision to have the same existential dilemma to start my day. If today were my final day of life, would I want to do what I am going to do today? I wondered myself as I studied myself in the mirror.

I replied, "Why the hell not?" given that I was about to live like Steve Jobs today, which was unquestionably different from how I usually did things.

6:35 AM: The first item on the agenda

As soon as possible, Steve cracks his knuckles and begins to work in the wee hours of the morning (or even in the wee hours of the night).

He reportedly has a "very complex system," using a T1 connection to send all of his files—whether they pertain to Apple or Pixar—to his home office.

Did you know: Voice and data are sent through twisted copper wires known as T1 lines using digital signals.

I don't need that because I always travel with my laptop and technology has improved. (However, nice flex, Steve.)

I began by sorting through my emails and writing for a while. It served as good therapy.

I was simply clicking away in the comfort of my own house while the outside world was still largely silent. I did felt a little bit more productive than normal because of that. The proverbial "early bird gets the worm" applies here.

Breakfast of fruit at 7:30 a.m.

Before his children left for school in the morning, Jobs ate breakfast with his family. Despite not having children, I do live with my sister. She wouldn't get up, though, only to join me for breakfast.

I thus had breakfast by myself. Jobs reportedly used to be a fruitarian, but as he got older and his health declined, he began eating more fish.

Fruitarians consume primarily fruits and, potentially, nuts and seeds, as the name indicates. Carrot juice was unavailable to me, despite the fact that Jobs like it. But what else is luscious and orange? citrus juice!

Of course I also consumed an apple.

Despite reading that Jobs like coffee, I chose not to. I was taken aback by how active I was all day long despite skipping my normal coffee intake. I wonder if my morning coffee is truly necessary after all.

8:00AM: Start of workday

After breakfast, I relaxed for a while before going back to my laptop to finish off some more work.

If I'm lucky, I'll remain at home and work for an hour since I can get a lot done, but frequently I'll have to come in, according to Steve Jobs.

I have to leave the house by 8:30AM even though my working hours are from 9:30AM to 6:30PM. This is because I go by rail, as opposed to Jobs, who bought a new automobile of the same kind every six months to avoid having a license plate. It takes around an hour to travel.

9:30AM reach the workplace

According to reports, Jobs and his executive team evaluate the whole company every Monday and hold "marathon meetings." I skipped that as it was outside the scope of my work.

I started working on my own job responsibilities instead, which include (but are not limited to) sending more emails and writing.

End of The Day

I was pleasantly still feeling light on my feet and ready to go at the end of the day. I was more active than I had expected to be.

But as soon as I boarded the train for home, I could feel all the adrenaline leaving my body. I had lost it. I really stayed up late since I intended to keep up this schedule for the remainder of the week.

I succeeded in doing so the next two days, but on Thursday I gave up since I was too exhausted and chose to merely sleep in.

The apparent problem in this situation is that my time at the workplace lasts longer than Steve's. Around 5:30 PM, he reportedly leaves for home and eats dinner, but I stay in the office for at least a further hour.

Long commutes are also problematic. I've always hated how much time we waste getting from one location to another in transit.

I must admit that I enjoy my daily commute since it is a routine of sorts for me. To start my day, I often listen to music or a podcast.

But it may get tiresome, particularly on days when the train is crowded, you have to maneuver into a tight space, and your neck begins to suffer from too much phone use.

But we don't have "Beyoncé" hours, unlike what someone on the internet apparently said. And I'm not working for Jobs.

We could have the same number of hours in the day as a millionaire like Beyoncé, but it's crucial to remember that she doesn't have to spend time running errands or performing housework.

She most likely has staff members who cook for her, drive her around, and handle her finances.

I did become more productive as a result of this experience since I worked longer hours than ever before. My days began earlier than normal, but I worked till the same time each day.

Having said that, I felt exhausted and burned out at the conclusion of my trial, so it didn't feel like a habit that could last over time. In the end, I didn't think that Jobs' regimen was particularly appropriate to the type of work that I perform.

I learned through this experience that although having a routine is vital, finding one that genuinely works for you is even more crucial. Even yet, I felt accomplished for having pushed myself with this specific morning ritual.

In addition, I discovered a few things about myself, like how much I like drinking fruit juice, dressing in advance, and assessing my level of happiness first thing in the morning.