Jeff Bezos, the executive chairman of Amazon, owns Blue Origin and is a billionaire investor, but he does not allow his many responsibilities to disrupt his chill morning routine.
Bezos's Chill Morning Routine
At 60 years old, Jeff Bezos starts his day by dragging his feet and scrolling through his smartphone like many others, as he recently shared on the Lex Fridman Podcast, who had just described Bezos as "one of the most productive humans in the world."
Before going to the gym for cardio and weightlifting, Bezos reads the newspaper and converses with his fiancé. While going to the gym is not difficult for him most days, there are occasions when it feels challenging, but he makes the effort regardless.
The Mind Wandering Routine
Bezos' morning routine aligns with his philosophy of embracing wandering or doing things aimlessly. This approach extends to his time at the office, where he encourages mind-wandering sessions to brainstorm and explore new ideas without letting time constraints stifle creativity.
In a podcast with computer scientist Lex Fridman, first released in December 2023, Bezos said he lets his mind "wander" instead of keeping a "strict schedule" for the day. This makes his messy brainstorming longer than planned, as he finds it enjoyable to engage in discussions with a group of intelligent individuals, exchanging ideas, addressing objections, and devising solutions collaboratively.
What is Mind-Wandering?
Mind wandering is a typical cognitive process involving our attention moving from the present environment to internal thoughts, memories, or plans, said Dr. Neerja Agarwal, a psychologist and co-founder of Emoneeds, a Gurugram-based psychiatric clinic.
At 60 years old, Bezos serves as a testament to the effectiveness of this creative thinking technique, which aids many individuals in generating new ideas, experiencing "aha!" moments, gaining multiple perspectives, and finding solutions to challenging problems.
The Benefits of A Relaxed Morning Routine
Bezos is not the only billionaire with a relaxed morning routine. Mark Cuban, who wakes up between 6:30 and 7:00 a.m. each morning, spends about an hour checking his emails before getting out of bed. He then eats breakfast, exercises, and checks his emails again, which he described as "rinse and repeat" when shared on comedian Trevor Noah's "What Now?" podcast in January.
Slow morning routines may appear lazy at first glance. Still, according to Geir Berthelsen, founder of the World Institute of Slowness, they can lead to heightened energy, creativity, and focus, as he told the Wall Street Journal in 2019. Berthelsen recommended spending at least 20 minutes every morning doing nothing, such as remaining awake in bed after your alarm goes off or engaging in activities that promote stillness, such as meditation or breathwork.
Berthelsen emphasized the importance of business leaders taking time to forget time, as it helps them be more creative when they arrive at work. He also highlighted that filling one's morning with too many tasks or interruptions is the most significant loss of productivity.
