1. Having a Strict Schedule
It is vital to set a daily plan and follow it strictly to achieve a productive day. While this helps you to get the most out of every day, it also ensures you block the overwhelming feeling of procrastination. One of the most successful entrepreneurs out there, the founder of SpaceX and Tesla Motors, Elon Musk keeps a very detailed daily schedule.
Musk schedules his whole day in 5-minute sets and devotes different days of the week to different projects (For example his Mondays & Thursdays are devoted to SpaceX only). This makes sure that his focus is not diluted on various projects and he can achieve the best outcome for individual tasks.
2. Reading a Lot
One of the easiest (and most old-school) ways of broadening your perspective is through reading books of different kinds. Reading books of various genres allows entrepreneurs to gain knowledge on areas that are crucial or supplementary to their business and to their self-development. CEO of Microsoft, Bill Gates whose current worth is $85 billion admits to reading 50 books each year. This equates to almost 1 book per week, which, is not that impossible to achieve. To help you start incorporating this habit to your day, these are the Top 3 books listed in Business Insider’s list of “21 Books That Every Entrepreneur Should Read”: “The Fountainhead” by Ayn Rand, “The Effective Executive” by Peter Drucker and “The Innovator’s Dilemma” by Clayton Christensen.
3. Waking Up Early
Early bird, certainly, catches the warm. The positive effects of a good night’s sleep on physical and mental health is a scientifically proven fact. It reduces stress, lowers the levels of inflammation to your cardiovascular system and generally makes you feel better. However, a good sleep definitely does not mean too much sleep. The most successful entrepreneurs are known early-risers, with the intention of being as productive as possible and to get the most out of the day. Here are when the alarm clock rings for these business giants:
Howard Schultz, Starbucks – 4.30 am
Richard Branson, Virgin Group – 5.45 am
Tim Cook, Apple Inc. – 3.45 am
Vittorio Colao, Vodafone – 6.00 am
4. Get Moving
Exercising is key to an active lifestyle. In addition to keeping them fit and healthy, entrepreneurs feel that a daily work-out keeps them motivated and enthusiastic during the day. Richard Branson, the founder of Virgin Group, shared that he swims, plays tennis or surfs every day and claims to get an extra 4 hours of productivity a day. Even ex-POTUS Barack Obama claimed to make time for 45-minute workouts before dealing with his responsibilities. Following a daily exercising routine leaves less time to procrastinate, helps individuals to stay competitive and creates room for a healthy work-life balance. These three factors are essential to a successful entrepreneurship journey and to be honest, it doesn’t hurt to get a side benefit of a fit body either.
Of course the list can go on and on. However these simple yet effective habits of some of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs are definitely worth incorporating in your daily lifestyle. Whether you are an aspiring entrepreneur or are working in a settled business, the worth of these daily habits for your professional and personal development is invaluable. To work alongside like-minded individuals, call or book a visit to Us &Co. to share the motivational spirit through co-working in the City of London.
