One of the biggest differences between those who are successful and those who are not is often the way they spend their times. After all, we all get 24 hours a day, no more-no less. Yet, some people make the most of these hours and some just kill their time. That’s where the core of productivity lies. The following are 7 of the best productivity tips shared by veteran entrepreneurs.
1. Mark Zuckerberg- Facebook
When asked how much time he spends at his office in an interview once, Mark replied 50-60 hours a week. However, he added, if someone were to count the time he spends on thinking and reading about his work and himself, that’s probably his entire life. So, his advice to that you must stay focused on your work at all times, even after you have left your office building.
2. Tim Chen- Nerdwallet
Chen says that he doesn’t check his emails often as it can be quite disorienting. Although he considers it a bit offensive in a social context, he tries to do it in batches every few days. This way he is more focused and productive.
3. Steve Jobs- Apple
Steve Jobs may be no more, but he left priceless and timeless principles to follow for better productivity. One of the things others can learn from the creative genius is how to make business meetings productive.
Jobs was known for keeping meetings short and always made sure that someone was responsible for each item on the agenda. If someone’s presence wasn’t really necessary in a meeting, he would even go as far as to ask them to step out and use their time for something better.
4. Richard Branson- Virgin
English Tycoon Richard Branson strongly believes in keeping lists. He likes to keep lists of people to call, companies to set up, etc. He works on these lists on a daily basis- and that’s what he believes is one of the keys to productivity.
5. Elon Musk- PayPal, Tesla Inc, SpaceX
Musk is a perfect role-model for every budding entrepreneur. He has given the world a lot through technological innovation, and one can learn a lot about being productive from him as well.
Musk says there are three principles of efficiency and productivity-
- Rituals to maintain a consistent schedule
- Personal Ecosystem that involves like-minded people that you can talk to and get feedback from
- Removal of things from your life that doesn’t help you moving forward
6. Bill Gates- Microsoft
Gates like to go to a cabin in the woods at least once every year to shut himself away from the world and all kinds of distractions that it contains. For a week or so, he reads books and thinks about his business strategies and examines the companies his company is partnering with. This is his way of reaching ultimate productivity.
7. Jeff Bezos- Amazon
Bezos’ tip on productivity is actually a phrase which he believes every professional should start using. This phrase is “disagree and commit”.
Elaborating on the phrase, Bezos says that if your team doesn’t agree on an idea even though you feel strongly about it, then just ask them to take a chance on you. You can just say “I know you don’t agree with me, but take a chance with me. Disagree and commit?”
It’s alright to use productivity apps in a tech-oriented world of today, but applying the classic methods and tips given above can also be of great help. So, feel free to test them out and see how they can make a difference.
