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Did you know that J.K. Rowling, renowned author of the Harry Potter series, handwrites her first drafts?
Bearing in mind the size of her books, that sounds excruciating to me (plus I have such awful handwriting I’d never understand what I’d written).
But Rowling swears it gets her creative juices flowing.
It’s intriguing how different entrepreneurs or influencers have unique habits that contribute to their success.
James Altucher for example is the brainchild behind the ‘write 10 ideas a day’ habit which always unblocks my creativity if I’m stuck in my own head.
So, I’ve gathered 10 unique habits that I thought you might find interesting, from Tim Ferriss’s “Fear Setting” to Elon Musk’s five-minute block scheduling.
Right now I’m most enamoured by Albert Einstein’s “thought experiments”. Bearing in mind my website recently got clobbered by google, this has led to some very interesting developments & pivots in my business!
Let me know which one is your favourite! 🙂
1. Tim Ferriss: The Art of Anticipating Worst-Case Scenarios
Tim Ferriss doesn’t jump into new ventures blindly. He practises “Fear Setting,” where he maps out the absolute worst outcomes, and then develops strategies to tackle them.
Takeaway: List out your worst-case scenarios and your game plans for them. This exercise can remove the fear of the unknown.
2 . Jack Dorsey: A Theme A Day
Jack Dorsey divides his week with specific themes (e.g., Management Mondays, Product Tuesdays) to focus his attention on different business aspects.
Takeaway: Designate different days for different tasks. This way, you can give each aspect of your business the focus it deserves.
3 . Sara Blakely: The Power of Visualisation
Before any significant event or decision, Sara Blakely visualises different outcomes and how she’d handle them.
Takeaway: Use visualisation techniques to prepare yourself mentally for what’s ahead.
4 . Elon Musk: The Five-Minute Block Scheduling
Elon Musk schedules his day in five-minute blocks to maximise productivity.
Takeaway: Consider breaking your day into smaller chunks to stay hyper-focused.
NB: Five minutes seems a bit excessive to me, and I tend to break my day into 30 min chunks, but then I’m not one of the richest people in the world!
5. Warren Buffett: The 5/25 Rule
Buffett recommends writing down 25 career goals, then focusing on the top 5 and avoiding the rest at all costs.
Takeaway: Prioritise ruthlessly. Concentrate on your most impactful goals and ignore the distractions.
6. James Clear: The Two-Minute Rule
If a task takes less than two minutes, do it immediately. This simple rule can save you tons of time in the long run.
Takeaway: Get small tasks out of the way to clear space for bigger challenges.
7. Ben Franklin: The Lifelong Learner’s Hour
Ben Franklin consistently set aside one hour a day dedicated to learning. This could range from reading to experimenting or simply reflecting.
Takeaway: Make it a habit to set aside at least one hour daily for self-improvement and learning. (Even 15 or 30 minutes helps if that’s all the time you have).
8. Gary Vaynerchuk: Document, Don’t Create
Gary Vee advises entrepreneurs to document their journey rather than stressing about creating content.
Takeaway: Your journey is content. Documenting can be more authentic and less time-consuming than always trying to create.
9. Nikola Tesla: The Power of Solitude
Tesla believed that solitude fueled his imagination and creativity. He spent long periods alone, immersed in his work.
Takeaway: Sometimes distancing yourself from the hustle and bustle can lead to your most significant breakthroughs.
10. Albert Einstein: The Thought Experiments
Einstein often used “thought experiments,” imagining different physical scenarios, which led to groundbreaking theories like relativity.
Takeaway: Set aside some quiet time to imagine different scenarios for your business or life. Note down insights or breakthroughs; they could be the seeds for your next big move.
Your Challenge
Take one of the above strategies, try it for a week in your business and see what happens.
Have fun experimenting! 🙂