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I Tried Apple CEO Tim Cook’s Morning Routine for a Week

  • I’ve been trying to implement a productive morning since moving for work in January.
  • I decided to challenge myself and copy the morning routine of Apple CEO Tim Cook.
  • There’s no way I’ll ever wake up as early as him, but I did start to enjoy a morning coffee.

Since moving to the New York metropolitan area in January, I’ve been working on establishing a productive morning routine to help me succeed in my transition to adulthood.

You know, that scary thing everyone warns you about when you graduate from college.

So far, adjusting to the 9-5 life has been exactly that: an adjustment. And while I haven’t quite reached the same levels of existentialism as some of my fellow Gen Zers (give me time), I’ve definitely felt that I’ll never finish my never-ending to-do list.

During my first week of work, I was ready to sleep by 8 p.m. and truly couldn’t fathom how anyone had the motivation or energy to work out, let alone raise a family or be social, which prompted a very empathetic phone call to my parents.

I’ve found a much better rhythm since then, but the experience got me thinking: What kind of productive person could I emulate to achieve my goals better?

A CEO.

CEOs are famously at the top of their games — known for their extensive industry knowledge, packed Google calendars, and ability to lead others. As someone just beginning my career, I couldn’t think of a better position to aspire to.

The next question was: Which CEO? Mark Zuckerberg’s daily routine starts with running and MMA training, so that was an immediate no from me. But Apple CEO Tim Cook wakes early — 4 to 5 a.m. early — responds to emails, does strength training several times a week, then showers, gets ready, and has some coffee and maybe a light breakfast. Minus the early wake-up time, his routine seemed very approachable, with realistic opportunities to integrate healthier habits into my own life.

With my decision made, I was excited to begin a weeklong challenge to see if copying Cook’s routine would help kick-start my own productivity.

Here’s how it went.

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