One day has 24 hours – that’s for everyone. And yet some people do more than others. How do the super-productive do that? They rely on these clever strategies. What do billionaires, successful entrepreneurs, top athletes, and one-man students do differently than others?
That’s what American author and consultant Kevin Kruse wanted to know – and talked to more than 200 successful people about their productivity secrets. Kruse shares his findings in the article “15 Surprising Things Productive People Do Differently” on Forbes. There he reveals, among other things, the following strategies of super-productive.
THEY SAY “NO” TO ALMOST EVERYTHING.
When asked what distinguishes successful people from unsuccessful ones, entrepreneur and billionaire Warren Buffett responded: “They say no to almost everything.” Because whoever does not draw any boundaries and stretches himself in front of every cart, in the end, has no time left for what really important.
THEY ARE THEMATIC EVERY DAY.
Monday: Meetings, Tuesday: Product Management, Wednesday: Marketing, Thursday: Developments and Collaborations, Friday: Corporate Culture and Interviews, Saturday: Free, Sunday: Preparation for the next week. This is the weekly schedule of Jack Dorsey, founder of Twitter and Square. As with many other super-productive, each day has its own topic. Because that helps to structure the 1440 minutes of each day and minimize harmful multitasking.
DIVIDE YOUR DAY IN MINUTES INSTEAD OF HOURS.
A meticulous schedule is a key to success for many successful people, so they do not divide their day into 24 hours, but in 1440 minutes. “you can lose and win money, but time is gone forever,” says Kruse to the point. Therefore, one should always treat one’s own time as the time of high-ranking politicians or managers: carefully and strategically planned.
YOU WILL NOT GO ANYWHERE WITHOUT NOTEBOOKS.
The analogy is not dead. Bill Gates, Richard Branson and Sheryl Sandberg have one thing in common: they all have a notebook that they take with them wherever they go and write down ideas about their businesses. So no thought is lost. Richard Branson is so meticulous in his book of meetings that he has already submitted his notebooks as legal evidence.
THEY DO SMALL TASKS IMMEDIATELY.
Productive people try to get things done right in five to ten minutes. For example, instead of opening and closing an email three times, they answer immediately. Incidentally, this also reduces the stress caused by the Zeigarnik effect.
THEY ARE NOT CONTROL FREAKS.
Delegating instead of controlling: Successful people try to distribute as many tasks as possible to their employees. So they rigorously delete the “me” from the question, “How do I get these things done?” Kruse says: “ultra-productive people have no control compulsion.” and who is worried about the quality of the job done, it should be said. At least “In many cases, good enough is just good enough,”. If you try to work on your own betterment rather than trying to control others, healthier relationships at work, or elsewhere, will surely come to you as a result.
MAKE IT HOME IN TIME FOR FAMILY.
Productive people spend time with the family as a high priority. Kruse also says: “Most successful people know which things deserve appreciation and time aside from work.” From his experience Kruse says, It is also important to have enough to eat and to sleep. He worked at the beginning of his career around the clock and accumulated numerous overtime until his first company went bankrupt.
FOLLOWING A CONSISTENT MORNING ROUTINE.
During his research, Kevin Kruse was stunned to find out how many of the super-productive, successful people follow a consistent morning routine. For most respondents, these include both rituals for a focused mind and those that do good physical activity. Such as a healthy breakfast and light exercise, as well as meditation, reading or diary writing.
Recommended Readings: Be More Productive – When You’re Working From Home.
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