Sam Altman returns as CEO of OpenAI after days of chaotic management reorganization. In his daily life, Altman, like many tech industry executives, is obsessed with extending his life.
He also reportedly prepared for doomsday scenarios (the release of a deadly synthetic virus, nuclear war, and an AI attack) by stockpiling guns, gold, and survival supplies. Whether it's sleep, work schedule or diet, he's very particular about many aspects of his daily life in order to maximize his effectiveness.
Next, let's take a look at how Ultraman spends his day.
Morning: drink coffee, skip breakfast
In a 2018 article, Altman mentioned that he drinks a large cup of espresso immediately after waking up in the morning, but he rarely eats breakfast. Most days, he fasts for about 15 hours a day.
He also uses full-spectrum LED light for about 10 to 15 minutes while working on emails in the morning, which he considers to be a "huge benefit."
Altman avoids scheduling meetings in the morning because that's what he considers to be the most productive time of day, and typically schedules meetings into the afternoon.
Work: Avoid meetings if possible
"I find that most meetings are best scheduled for 15 to 20 minutes, or two hours. Meetings are often set to one hour by default, which is inappropriate and leads to a lot of wasted time."
Overall, he thinks it's more valuable to avoid meetings as much as possible and work in the office.
“Ninety percent of the random meetings I attend are a waste of time, and the other 10% are really valuable.”
On the other hand, he said he would leave some gaps in his schedule to "encounter new people and new ideas" and to think about his next work plan.
Altman says he uses a lot of lists to organize his work and life, but he prefers to make them on paper rather than electronically.
He said in his blog that the lists help him keep track of "what he wants to accomplish yearly, monthly and daily," adding: "Lists are great for focusing and they help me multitask because I don't There are so many things to keep in mind. If I don't want to do a particular task, I can always find something else to do that interests me."
After lunch, he would have another shot of espresso.
Night: Eat less food and take low-dose sleeping pills before going to bed
Altman emphasized the critical role sleep plays in maintaining daily productivity despite frequent caffeine intake. He specifically mentioned that in order to ensure good sleep quality, he would avoid eating too much food before bedtime, and that reducing alcohol consumption would also help with sleep.
Ultraman revealed that he has been a vegetarian since childhood and regularly drinks protein shakes to supplement his nutrition, even though he doesn't particularly like the taste. He also tries to avoid foods that may trigger inflammation, such as overly spicy dishes, foods that may irritate the digestive system, and also minimizes sugar intake. But he admitted that he didn’t have the willpower to resist when faced with sweets!
In addition, Altman will conduct regular blood tests and supplement various vitamins according to the test reports. In order to delay aging, he also takes metformin, a diabetes drug.
When it comes to sleeping habits, Altman said he uses a sleep tracker and prefers to rest in a "cold, dark, quiet" environment. He emphasized the importance of a comfortable mattress. If he doesn't feel cool enough, he uses a cooling pad and often takes low-dose sleeping pills or marijuana to help him fall asleep.
Exercise: Three times a week, one hour each time lifting weights
Altman said he tends to lift weights three times a week for an hour, with the occasional high-intensity interval training (Hit) thrown in. He tried a variety of exercise methods and found that this exercise program not only improved his work efficiency, but also made him feel the most comfortable overall.
References
[1]https://www.businessinsider.com/open-ai-sam-altman-daily-routine-schedule-for-productivity-2024-1