Think Week

The habits

• Read before bed

  Daily · at 21:30 · ≥ 30 min

  He has said he reads for about an hour almost every night. Start with 30 minutes and build up.

• Notebook: what you read and what you think, 10 min

  Daily

• Do the dishes

  Daily · at 20:00

• Think hour: offline, with a stack of reading

  Sat

• Sleep 7 hours

  Daily · ≥ 7 h

• Think day: a full day away to read and write

  Monthly · Advanced

  His Think Weeks were seven days alone, twice a year, reading stacks of papers and writing notes on them. Plan the day ahead, tell people you will be offline, and keep your meals and sleep regular.

Not affiliated with or endorsed by Bill Gates. Based on publicly reported routines. General wellness information, not medical advice. Check with a doctor before big changes to your training, sleep or eating.

Optional goal

1. Milestone 1

   Gather the stack (Weeks 1–3)

   A reading list for one big question

   • Pick one question you want to think hard about
   • Collect 5 to 10 articles, papers or chapters on it
   • Read 30 minutes every night and note what stands out
   • Book a full day with no meetings

2. Milestone 2

   Take the day (Week 4)

   A one-page conclusion

   • Go somewhere quiet with notifications off
   • Read the stack and write notes as you go
   • Write one page on what you now believe and what to do next
   • Share it with someone whose view you trust