Benjamin Franklin. How can studying his routines benefit us?

First, I openly declare myself a seeker of knowledge, a seeker of wisdom, and a seeker of truth. I believe we can learn valuable nuggets from those who have figured a few things out in their lifetime and leave a trail for us to follow.

So I have decided to walk in the shoes of a variety of men and women as an experiment. I am going to sleep, breathe, eat, and practice the way they did and write about it. My intent is to learn, experience, and share what I discover. So here goes round 1: Benjamin Franklin.

 

Hence, Ben Franklin certainly fits the bill. We are constantly reminded every time we look at a $100 bill. Franklin left his mark as an entrepreneur, inventor, businessman, politician, and scientist. I’m intrigued by how much this one man accomplished in one lifetime.

Certainly, Franklin was dedicated to personal growth and extremely disciplined in his practice. He was focused on what he wanted and was willing to do the work to make it happen.

Here are 3 insights and thought-provoking ideas based on how he lived his life.

1. Ben Franklin worked on improving his personality every day. 

First, Ben Franklin was known for his ability to persuade, influence, and lead. He knew how to win over his adversaries and use the power of persuasion to accomplish great things in his lifetime.

And he worked on it. Benjamin Franklin created a success system. He sought out feedback. He made changes. The method he developed is known as Franklin’s “13 Virtues.” It was a list of rules and moral guidelines that he created at the age of 20.

Each week, he would pick one “virtue” to focus on. He would made notes and worked on making improvements.

Could you imagine if we all did that?

2. Benjamin Franklin followed a consistent routine called a scheme.  

Second, Ben Franklin created an easy-to-follow daily ritual. According to his autobiography, he woke up at 5 AM every morning. He would ask himself, “What good shall I do this day?” And at the end of the night, Franklin again asked himself, “What good have I done today?”

So over the last three days I have followed this routine. I found it simple and refreshing. I find that we often overcomplicate things by doing too much. I liked that this ritual didn’t include a long list of activities that make us feel guilty or even anxious if we can’t fit it all in (for example, 20 minutes of meditation, then yoga, then breathwork, then yada, yada, yada, and finally closing with a list of affirmations).

Also, I really liked the structure. No room for Facebook distractions or idle chitchat. The majority of the day is focused on work, productivity, and getting things done. Period.

 

3. Benjamin Franklin made decisions based on creating a pros & cons list. 

I had no idea that Benjamin Franklin was the first to create and use the pros and cons list to make important decisions.

Benjamin Franklin described his decision-making process in a letter to Joseph Priestley, who had asked Franklin’s advice on how to make an important decision.

Essentially, Franklin’s process is a matter of listing the Pros and Cons, reflecting on them, and making your decision.

• Frame the Decision
• List the Pros and Cons
• Assess the Importance of the Pros and the Cons (1–10 rating)
• Assess the Probability of the Pros and the Cons
• Weight the Pros and the Cons
• Review and Reflect

I really liked this idea, and I have been using it for to make bigger decisions. For example, when deciding if we were going to plan another trip back to Bali after 2018 by evaluating the pros and cons, it became very clear this will be our last trip. Although we get many requests to go back every year, it makes more sense to offer new options starting in 2019 (Israel, for one, is now on the schedule).

All in all, after spending a good part of this past week envisioning and participating in Franklin’s rituals, here are a few of my takeaways:

• If someone doesn’t like you, you can potentially turn that ship around by enlisting the advice or help of that person. Franklin’s ability to do is called the “Franklin Effect.” I can’t say this has worked for me just yet, but it certainly is something I am going to keep experimenting with.
• Waking up at 5:00 AM. I will admit getting up early feels great. I get so much more done before the rest of the world wakes up and distractions take over. I missed the mark on 5 AM but was up before 6, which is my typical wake-up time. I am going to modify the time to 5:45 and do my best to keep this routine going all summer.
• I LOVE the simplicity of asking one question: “What good can I do today” and then reviewing the results at the end of the day. I can’t say I will ask this exact question daily, but I may just modify it and do it weekly. On Monday mornings I am going to ask, “What good can I do this week?” and then check back in at the end of the day on Friday to see how I do.

I am digging this experiment. Next on my list is Richard Branson, so stay tuned.

 

Resources:

Franklin, Benjamin. The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. New York: Dover Thrift, 1996.

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