Michael Leask

Initially, as I was writing my daily habits, I wrote my routines. I thought a blog on my routines would be interesting for other readers who follow me and are curious about how I spend my day, working at home.

This is Monday to Friday.

I wake up near 6:30 am. I make a simple breakfast: dim sum that I make from scratch, or scrambled eggs. After eating, I take my coffee (French roast), multivitamins and medication and sit down at my desk to begin writing before 7 am.

My writing goal used to be 2,000 words a day; now, I aim for 500 and feel great when I get 1,500 words in. I do this to not set the bar too high if I don’t accomplish my goal for the day. I write a chapter a day, and once the novel is complete, I’ll add or subtract words to refine the scene.

Depending on how the words flow out of me, I could be done writing the chapter anywhere between 1 – 3 hours. I’m usually mentally exhausted getting the wording out, so I’ll go and relax with a video game or a foreign language show on Netflix.

Then I make lunch, do the dishes, make a second cup of coffee, sit on my ‘reading chair’, and enjoy reading a few chapters from a book for 30 minutes to an hour. The one I’m currently reading as I write this is Ender in Exile by Orson Scott Card.

Reading allows me to practice my literacy for writing and also allows for digestion. Afterwards, I get a quick workout in. My workout goal is High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) for 30 minutes. Depending on how I’m feeling, or if the HIIT is shorter, I jump on the treadmill and go for a jog for 15, 20, or 30 minutes. Exercise is the other habit I think a writer needs to have. It freshens and strengthens the mind and body.

Part 2 of my day begins after the workout between 1:30 and 2 pm. I make a recovery drink, shower, and go back to the computer to work on video game development using the Godot Game Engine. I’m re-following some Udemy videos. The video I’m currently on is unnecessarily complex, so I often complete one lecture at a time, more for my sanity than anything. I’ll do a developer blog on the course and the game when I’m done. My video game is coming along and will be available for free download on my website.

After completing the Godot lecture, I practice Mandarin and then work on Gudies Goodies activities, such as updating the website and conducting online research. Then it’s nearly 4 pm, and I start making dinner.

In the evening, I relax with my wife; we chat about the day and anything in the news — outrageous or not, but I don’t write that on my blogs — and then relax with an episode of a show to have some digestion before she has a workout and I do the dishes. Then, back to the couch and enjoy a show or a movie for the rest of the night.

On the weekends

I write in the morning. It’s the same routine as during the weekdays, but after writing, I practice Tai Chi Chuan for 30 minutes, and that is the only goal that I have for the weekend. My wife and I enjoy going out to walk along the harbourfront, working on pre-made food, or simply relaxing. I’m in my 40s, and spending time together is important.

That’s it in a nutshell.

Do other writers have a similar routine? How about the readers? Comment if you’d like to share.