Charles Darwin's Daily Routine
Get great work out of about 3 hours a day. Charles Darwin's daily routine: two focused sittings from 8:00 AM, with walks and a nap.
By Colin PaceUpdated
Overview
Charles Darwin set out the theory of evolution by natural selection in On the Origin of Species in 1859. He did it on about 3 hours of real work a day at a country house, where his illness shaped his daily routine.
His son Francis's account, which Mason Currey posted on his Daily Routines blog, times his day almost to the minute. Darwin worked from 8:00 AM to 9:30 AM, which he counted his best time, then read his letters and worked again until noon. After that came a walk round the Sandwalk, lunch, a 3:00 PM rest while his wife, Emma, read a novel aloud, and another walk. Backgammon and reading filled the evening.
It suits anyone whose health or energy won't give them a long working day. If you still want to make something big, it shows how few hours that can take.
You get two focused sittings, three walks, a nap and an evening of small pleasures. Start with one 90-minute sitting before email. The same day all week is our estimate.
Who's it for
At a glance
- 8 hr 30 min sleep per night
- 42 hr work per week
- 3 meals per day
- 13 hr eating window
- 10.5 hr movement per week
- 31.5 hr play per week
Schedule
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