Agendolo

Barack Obama's Daily Routine

Guard a few hours alone each night for your hardest thinking. Barack Obama had family dinner at 6:30 PM, then worked alone until about midnight.

By Colin PaceUpdated

Overview

Barack Obama was the 44th President of the United States, from 2009 to 2017, and has written several bestselling books. In the White House he kept a night owl's schedule. The evening, not the morning, was his time to think.

He was up around 7:00 AM and, NBC reported in 2009, saw his daughters off to school, worked out, read the briefings and papers, then spent the day in meetings. Dinner with his family was at 6:30 PM, and afterwards he spent 4 to 5 hours mostly alone in the Treaty Room with his briefing book, letters and speech drafts, going to bed between midnight and 12:30 AM, The New York Times found. The Times also describes Friday film nights with his family, and he often played golf at weekends, ESPN reported.

It suits people whose days are full of other people and who need quiet hours to do their own thinking. Those nights were short, so keep the protected evening, not the late bedtime. Meal times, the Friday and weekend times and the workout length are our estimates.

Goals

Who's it for

At a glance

  • 6 hr 30 min sleep per night
  • 68 hr work per week
  • 3 meals per day
  • 11 hr eating window
  • 11 hr movement per week
  • 11.5 hr play per week

Sleep

45.5 hours/week
Bedtime
12:30 AM
Wake up
7:00 AM

6 hr 30 min per night

Sleep12:30 AM → 7:00 AM · 6 hr 30 min
Schedules
  • Mon–Thu12:30 AM → 7:00 AM· 6 hr 30 min
  • Fri12:30 AM → 7:00 AM· 6 hr 30 min
  • Sat12:30 AM → 7:00 AM· 6 hr 30 min
  • Sun12:30 AM → 7:00 AM· 6 hr 30 min
Naps

No naps.

Work

68 hours/week
Start
9:00 AM
Finish
11:30 PM

12 hr 30 min a day9 hr meetings3 hr 30 min deep work

Meetings9:00 AM → 1:00 PM · 4 hr
Meetings1:30 PM → 6:30 PM · 5 hr
Deep work8:00 PM → 11:30 PM · 3 hr 30 min
Deep work8:00 PM → 11:30 PM · 3 hr 30 min
Meetings9:00 AM → 1:00 PM · 4 hr
Meetings1:30 PM → 6:30 PM · 5 hr
Deep work 9:30 PM
Shifts
  • Meetings9:00 AM → 1:00 PM· 4 hr · Mon–Thu
  • Meetings1:30 PM → 6:30 PM· 5 hr · Mon–Thu
  • Deep work8:00 PM → 11:30 PM· 3 hr 30 min · Mon–Thu
  • Meetings9:00 AM → 1:00 PM· 4 hr · Fri
  • Meetings1:30 PM → 6:30 PM· 5 hr · Fri
  • Deep work9:30 PM → 11:30 PM· 2 hr · Fri
  • Deep work8:00 PM → 11:30 PM· 3 hr 30 min · Sat
  • Deep work8:00 PM → 11:30 PM· 3 hr 30 min · Sun

Eat

13 hours/week
First meal
8:30 AM
Last meal
6:30 PM

3 meals13:11 eating window2 hr eating

Breakfast 8:30 AM
Lunch 1:00 PM
Dinner 6:30 PM
Breakfast 7:00 AM
Dinner 6:30 PM
Breakfast 9:00 AM
Dinner 6:30 PM
Meals
  • Breakfast8:30 AM → 9:00 AM· 30 min · Mon–Thu
  • Lunch1:00 PM → 1:30 PM· 30 min · Mon–Thu
  • Dinner6:30 PM → 7:30 PM· 1 hr · Mon–Thu
  • Breakfast8:30 AM → 9:00 AM· 30 min · Fri
  • Lunch1:00 PM → 1:30 PM· 30 min · Fri
  • Dinner6:30 PM → 7:30 PM· 1 hr · Fri
  • Breakfast9:00 AM → 9:30 AM· 30 min · Sat
  • Dinner6:30 PM → 7:30 PM· 1 hr · Sat
  • Breakfast7:00 AM → 7:30 AM· 30 min · Sun
  • Dinner6:30 PM → 7:30 PM· 1 hr · Sun
Eating window

Off

Move

11 hours/week
A day
1 hr
Sessions
1

Strength 7:30 AM

Strength 7:30 AM
Strength 8:00 AM
Sport8:30 AM → 12:30 PM · 4 hr
Sport 12:30 PM
Sessions
  • Strength7:30 AM → 8:30 AM· 1 hr · Mon–Thu
  • Strength7:30 AM → 8:30 AM· 1 hr · Fri
  • Strength8:00 AM → 9:00 AM· 1 hr · Sat
  • Sport8:30 AM → 12:30 PM· 4 hr · Sun
  • Sport12:30 PM → 1:30 PM· 1 hr · Sun

Play

11.5 hours/week
A day
1 hr 30 min
Blocks
2

Family 7:00 AMReading 11:30 PM

Family 7:00 AM
Reading until 12:30 AM
Reading 11:30 PM
Reading until 12:30 AM
Reading 11:30 PM
Family 7:00 AM
Cinema 7:30 PM
Reading until 12:30 AM
Reading 11:30 PM
Free time
  • Mon–Thu7:00 AM → 7:30 AM· 30 min
  • Mon–Thu11:30 PM → 12:30 AM· 1 hr
  • Fri7:00 AM → 7:30 AM· 30 min
  • Fri7:30 PM → 9:30 PM· 2 hr
  • Fri11:30 PM → 12:30 AM· 1 hr
  • Sat11:30 PM → 12:30 AM· 1 hr
  • Sun11:30 PM → 12:30 AM· 1 hr