Looking for more ways to be productive? We took a look at one of our favorite literary geniuses' daily routine to see what he did to maximize his productivity and how we can apply those same practices to our lives.

1. HOW TO LIVE YOUR LIFE
LIKE A GENIUS
Lessons on Productivity
from Charles Dickens

2. SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS
are often searching for ways to be more productive.
If you’re looking for tips on how to whittle down your
to-do list faster, there’s no better source of
inspiration than the creative geniuses who have
made mankind great.
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3. INFO WE TRUST
recently unveiled an infographic detailing the daily
lives of some of history's most accomplished
geniuses. The infographic shows us the diligent
routines that many creative greats followed in order
to maximize their productivity.

4. Let’s take a look at a day in the life of Charles Dickens
and talk about the lessons we can learn from how he
spent his time.

5. GET A GOOD NIGHT'S REST
Charles Dickens slept from midnight until seven in
the morning every day, which is not far off from the
commonly-cited figure of eight hours a night.

6. EVERYONE HAS DIFFERENT SLEEP NEEDS
but many of us try to get by with less than our
bodies demand. Follow Dickens’ advice and sleep
well every night.

7. IF YOU'RE HAVING TROUBLE
figuring out how much sleep you need, a wearable
tech device like UP from Jawbone can recordyour
sleep cycles for you and tell you just how much of
that essential REM sleep you’re actually getting.

8. WAKE UP NATURALLY
If you wake up groggy to the same alarm each
morning, this is likely doing your body a
disservice.Waking up according to your body’s
natural rhythm is a great foundation for a
productive day.

9. IF YOU NEED A LITTLE HELP GETTING UP
at the right time, try an app like Sleep Cycle,which
analyzes your sleeping patterns and wakes you up when
you’re in the lightest stage of sleep.

10. MOST PEOPLE'S SCHEDULES
don’t allow them to wake up whenever they feel like it.
That’s why it is recommend to give yourself an hour like
Dickens did, so that you have a little leeway to wake up
naturally without being late for work.

11. EAT A HEALTHY BREAKFAST
Dickens dedicated an hour each morning just to eat his
breakfast. By turning off your phone and relaxing during
breakfast, you’ll be making the rest of the work you do
throughout the day way more productive.

12. SMALL TIP:
You can make mealtimes less stressful
by planning your meals in advance.

13. WORK WHEN YOU'RE MOST PRODUCTIVE
Dickens was a morning person, working from nine
to two every day, sequestered in his study “in
absolute quiet.”

14. JUST LIKE DICKENS,
it’s important to block out a specific time just for work
and also to determine the environment in which you
work best in order to maximize productivity.
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15. FOR TIME BLOCKING,
simply marking off a few hours in a calendar goes a
long way. Close the door, turn off email, and get
started with a small task to build up momentum.

16. EXERCISE, EXERCISE, EXERCISE
Only 1 in 3 American adults get the recommended
amount of weekly exercise. If Dickens can take three
hours out of his day to exercise, you can spare at least
30 minutes for a brisk walk or light jog.

17. THE INCREASED BLOOD FLOW & ENDORPHINS
can give you much more energy than any cup of coffee
could and, in fact, one writer even found that his overall
cognitive performance improved 12% after exercising
but only 6% after a cup of coffee.

18. NEED SOME MORE MOTIVATION?
There are several apps you can download on your phone
that will encourage you to exercise. GymPact is an app
that gets you to pay up if you don’t work out.

19. TAKE BREAKS FROM YOUR WORK
Dickens not only took a full hour for dinner, he also
dedicated five hours after dinner to friends and
family. That down time allowed his brain to rest, so
he was ready to go the next day.

20. ONE OF THE BIGGEST MISTAKES
people make is trying to work all the time, but taking
breaks has actually been shown to improve both focus
and productivity. That means you’ll spend less time
working and get more done.

21. IN CONCLUSION,
time doesn’t have to be something you wish you had
more of. Greater productivity is attainable with just a
few small changes to your daily routine. Are you ready
to give it a shot, Dickens style?

22. READ THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE ON THE JIMDO BLOG