Staying productive in business is tough. We are constantly fire-fighting our inboxes, tackling dragged-out meetings and scrambling to hit targets. How do the leading entrepreneurs and influencers of this century, Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk and Bill Gates, stay focussed?
We wanted to know how they stay so productive, so we found out.
Mark Zuckerberg
- Clothing – Zuckerberg wears the same outfit every day. A grey t-shirt, jeans and a hoodie. Why? By eliminating a lot of the extravagance available to him, his most focused goal is still the work that he does.
- Housing – Living close to the office is one of the ways Zuckerberg stays productive. He works 15 hour days, according to his co-workers, and as he lives just a few blocks away from his office, he doesn’t have a long commute.
- Extras – In an interview, Zuckerberg said: “I feel like I’m not doing my job if I spend any of my energy on things that are silly or frivolous about my life so that I can dedicate all my energy into building the best products and services.”
Elon Musk
- Coffee – Musk is a huge coffee fan. Aren’t we all? This is one of the tools he uses to stay focussed. He said about his diet and lifestyle: “I think it’s probably true that having a good breakfast is a good idea, but usually I don’t have time for that. Sometimes it’s made for me, but probably half the time I don’t have any breakfast. I’ll have a coffee or something like that.. and a Mars bar, sure.. but I’m trying to cut down on sweet stuff.” He likes Mars bars, and he’s trying to colonise Mars – coincidence?
- Sleep – Unsurprisingly, Musk doesn’t get much sleep. With multiple business ventures to juggle, the SpaceX CEO doesn’t get much rest. However he says that, by choice, he doesn’t want to sleep a lot. Instead he chooses to get 6 hours of sleep a night or less. He also goes to bed late – at around 1am.
Bill Gates
- Resetting – Bill Gates is a big fan of hitting reset every now and again. No, we’re not talking about his computers, we’re talking about his life. Gates goes on a retreat every year called ThinkWeek, where he visits a cabin in the woods. By getting rid of all technology, and having a digital detox, Gates believes it helps him think through his plans without distraction. When he returns, he is more productive than ever.
- Emails – Having different monitors, with one screen dedicated to just his inbox, is a tip we can all steal from Gates’ working style. This way he can give his full attention to his emails when a new one comes in. He doesn’t have to close tabs or worry about forgetting to reply. He does his responses there and then.
What do you think about these tips to help you stay focussed? Read more about leaders and influencers here –
https://live-newstatesman-b2b.pantheonsite.io/influencers-leaders-fast-food/