Casey Neistat's Daily Routine
Ship something every day on a fixed timetable. In 2015 Casey Neistat got up at 4:30 AM to post a new vlog at 8:00 AM, seven days a week.
By Colin PaceUpdated
Overview
Casey Neistat is a filmmaker and YouTuber whose daily vlog, started in 2015, made him one of the best-known creators on the platform. He posted a new video at 8:00 AM every day. He did it on about 3.5 hours of sleep a night, which is extreme and not something to copy.
He laid out the day on The Tim Ferriss Show in 2015 (transcript). His alarm went off at 4:30 AM, he finished the previous night's edit, and from 7:00 AM to 7:45 AM he uploaded the video and made the thumbnail. After it went live he ran 8 to 12 miles or went to the gym, was in his office across the street by about 9:30 AM, and left around 6:30 PM to give the baby a bath and spend an hour and a half with his wife. When she went to bed at 9:00 PM he edited until he passed out at his computer around 1:00 AM, then slept on the couch until 4:30 AM.
Take the structure, not the sleep: a daily deadline, the creative work first, and exercise before the office. Anyone publishing on a schedule can use it with a full night's rest. The blocks are rounded from his times, and there are no meals because he ate only when he got hungry.
Who's it for
At a glance
- 3 hr 30 min sleep per night
- 115.5 hr work per week
- 10.5 hr movement per week
- 17.5 hr play per week
Sleep
24.5 hours/week3 hr 30 min per night
- Every day1:00 AM → 4:30 AM· 3 hr 30 min
No naps.
Work
115.5 hours/week16 hr 30 min a day15 hr 30 min creative work1 hr light work
- Creative work4:30 AM → 7:00 AM· 2 hr 30 min · Every day
- Light work7:00 AM → 8:00 AM· 1 hr · Every day
- Creative work9:30 AM → 6:30 PM· 9 hr · Every day
- Creative work9:00 PM → 1:00 AM· 4 hr · Every day
Move
10.5 hours/weekRun 8:00 AM
- Run8:00 AM → 9:30 AM· 1 hr 30 min · Every day
Play
17.5 hours/weekFamily 6:30 PM
- Every day6:30 PM → 9:00 PM· 2 hr 30 min