Here's how you can plan your day like Oprah Winfrey

DAILY ROUTINES

Oprah Winfrey

Oprah Winfrey remains one of the most powerful women in the world and success wasn't simply handed to her. Oprah continues to be a phenomenal example of what one can achieve from hard work and dedication, inspiring others to achieve their dreams. Oprah now lives with pleasure in her 65-acre, 100 million-dollar house in Montecito, California which she calls 'promise land.' From growing up in a poverty-stricken upbringing to becoming the world's first self-made female black billionaire, Here's how Oprah makes the most out of her day.

07:10

Wake up

Oprah wakes up around 6 a.m and doesn't believe in alarm clocks, she's made it a habit to wake up on her own every day and conquer the day. Her perfect morning usually includes taking her time to soak in nature, walking her dogs out, and making her favourite espresso, a perfect blend of caffeinated and decaffeinated espresso with milk and a little hazelnut. As she waits for the brew to froth, she pulls out a card from the 365 Gathered Truths to start her day with a perfect message.

This morning, when I hit the blackout shades just after seven, the light was casting its golden glow over the green lawn, with the clouds and ocean in the distance. I watched three geese fly over the backyard and land in the pond. I hadn’t even had a sip of coffee, but it was already a perfect day.

08:30

A spiritual routine

Oprah checks out the 'Bowl of Saki' on her phone containing the teachings of Sufi, a Middle Eastern sect that believes all paths lead to God and that all religions are one, pointing to the same north star. In a 2016 interview on the Oprah Winfrey Network, the mogul said she lights three candles and meditates each morning, whether it's for 10 seconds or 20 minutes. Her promise land, surrounded by more than 3,000 trees, has a special rock carved in the shape of a seat, where she meditates. Or she just relaxes underneath what she calls 'The Apostles,' a canopy of live 12 Oak trees, which is also her favourite place in the world.

9:00

Workout

After meditation, she works out for an hour, doing a series of resistance flexibility, a low-impact strength-training program that usually involves two or more people, for which she has stretchers coming to her house to help her out. After that, she goes for a solid two-mile run around her 65-acre property and finishes it off with 30 minutes of treadmill workout. Here's a detailed workout plan of Oprah's workout routine, structured by her trainer Bob Greene. “Here’s the thing about exercise, I still hate it so much,” said Oprah, 68, explained, noting that despite her feelings, “I still do it.” Having a partnership with WW, (formerly known as weight watchers), she opened up about how living your best, most healthy life sometimes means doing things you don’t want to do. On her 2020 WW tour, she travelled the world, inviting guests like Michelle Obama, Dwayne Johnson, Tina Fey and Lady Gaga, opening up about her wellness journey

12:30

Home-grown Meal

Oprah says she and Stedman(her longtime partner) have a rule. If they cannot find it in their garden, then they cannot eat it. Oprah is a true nature woman, and her garden obsession has been around for a long time now. She says, "I love lunch. It’s my favourite meal. If Stedman isn’t here, I will invite others over—all the people I’m interested in talking to or meeting." Not only does she love lunch, she likes it with a side of her favourite 'Promise “The Joy” rosé' (all the way from Napa Valley), and it gotta be very chill because warm wine is the only thing she sends back in a restaurant.

1.30

Business

Oprah is one of the most successful businesswomen in the world. So how does she do it? She realises how responsible she is for her money. She says, "I personally sign all checks over 100 grand. Even on a perfect day, I want to do it. Having grown up poor, I can never completely turn over all my money matters to anyone else." She likes to be in control of her finances, wire transfers, and checks, and not delegate it over to someone else. Her work ethic is so strong, she goes down all lines of business and usually gets it done within two hours and finishes all her work before the afternoon so she has the day all to herself. After that, she’ll have the rest of her day. She’ll work out again, and have some time to herself to read, drink tea, and enjoy her afternoon. She has her own tea room to sit in and watch the sunset while she chills out. What can I say? she's livin' her best life ;)

6.00

Make your evenings matter

Oprah's perfect evening includes sitting around the fire with family, reading a novel, and drinking herbal tea. Oprah says she generally prefers books more than movies, although she loves a good old classic film and can go weeks without turning on the TV. By twilight, she takes the dogs out for another walk and eats a proper meal if her family's around. If it's just her, she's got no problem with a protein shake or a bowl of soup and cosy up with a book. Not only does she read on her own, but she also spends a lot of her time curating her “Oprah Book Club,” effectively helping others become more involved with books. And she loves a good bedtime bath ritual, with her oils, salts and beads!

I’ve spent a lot of time creating homes that feel like nurturing, spiritual shelters for me. I also have a ranch in Maui, but I don’t love any place as much as this one. The land, the trees, and the open sky fortify me. I feel very connected in a way that I never do when I’m in a city surrounded by buildings.

Oprah sure makes the most out of her day and it's not just because she is who she is. I mean, who wouldn't enjoy their day if they were Oprah Winfrey? What matters is the fact that she has earned it, she's worked hard all her life and here she is. And the secret to Oprah's way of living a meaningful life is hard work, the ability to pay attention to every aspect and detail of her day and the great appreciation she has for the little things. We've all got the same 24 hours, so carpe diem!