How do some people seem like they can do so much more in a day than ever before? Is it a genetic potential that you don't have that those more successful people have? It turns out, not really; it's just the routines and habits they meticulously follow every day.
Related: 12 Simple Habits That Set Ultra-Successful People Apart
I spent a month interviewing 15 Silicon Valley startup founders to dive into the habits and hacks they use to keep them productive and motivated every day . Some have sold businesses for more than eight figures, and many have had their products and services featured in top-tier publications.
Here are the three most important commonalities in how successful people create a day powerfully productive:
1. They're not fans of "grinding it."
Contrary to popular opinion, almost everyone I interviewed was not a fan of the 24/7 routine. This false perception of being “plugged in” every day can be damaging. In the short term, you can push yourself a little further, and a little further. In the long run, however, it can be devastating to your overall productivity and efficiency.
Josh Waitzkin, author of the The art of learning , talks about creating stress and releasing thresholds:“Teaching people to turn it off is a huge part of teaching them to turn it on much more intensely.” This means that you should create planned periods of intense work followed by periods of rest. When you are mentally fatigued, it is not possible to do your best and be the most productive; being tired can make you much more distracted and unfocused.
More than two-thirds of respondents do just that:schedule periods of high concentration on a task for 45-60 minutes straight, followed by 10-30 minutes of rest and recovery.
“I use mindful focus and then relaxation. I do a 30-90 minute block of head down work, then I take a break for about 30 minutes,” says Sol Orwell, founder of Examine.com. “Real focused work is incredibly powerful and most people never do it. I'm not a huge fan of grinding, as your throughput and quality suffer greatly. ”
This contrasts with the usual way people go about their day of trying to work on three to four things at a time for seven hours straight.
Will Bunker, co-founder of Match. com, said, “Taking regular walks helps clear my mind and clears the noise.” He makes those walks non-negotiable. In my own experience, this is a powerful way to accomplish more; pauses recharge your body and mind for the next round.
2. They create a mind and body capable of being more productive.
I asked each of the entrepreneurs the following question:Do you find that your daily fitness and nutrition routine impacts your performance and your energy every day? Although I expected a fair amount to say yes, I didn't expect that response from everyone. If you think about it, though, it really makes sense.
Many people immediately look for a tool or app to be more productive. But doing more is not really the best way to do more. Personally, I think improving your mind and body to perform better is a place to start. Turns out, every one of these powerhouse startup founders agrees.
Think about it:If your energy, health, and mind aren't working your best, how can you be the most productive version and the most successful of yourself? Your fitness, nutrition, sleep, and lifestyle habits have a huge influence on your daily energy.
“A good sleep pattern is essential for me,” says Ameer Rosic, founder of BlockGeeks. “Everything you do is influenced by the quality of your sleep; why would you want to play with that? »
Related: 5 Evening Habits That Will Set You Up For A Successful Day
Sam Parr, founder of The Hustle, one of the fastest growing media publications, has broken his eating habits:“I optimize my nutritional intake to avoid the energy crash that can occur. For me, that means I avoid carbs most of the time; serotonin is a hormone secreted by carbohydrates and in general you want to avoid this when trying to get things going. I also avoid alcohol. In my youth, I abused it a little too much. However, I have since given up alcohol (about three years ago) because the hangover and side effects have impacted my entire week. ”
These entrepreneurs train in the morning or at some point during the day. In addition to taking care of their bodies, they also focus on taking care of their minds.
Nearly half of entrepreneurs incorporate meditation into their daily routines. It's no surprise, then, that reading is also high on their priority list.
A well-functioning body and mind are key to creating more energy for your day. More energy means more focus, more productivity and more stuff.
3. They have a daily power up and power down routine.
How you start your morning will set the tone for the rest of your day. Start it in a rushed and chaotic state and it will go on all day and impact your performance. Almost everyone I've interviewed has a morning routine that they follow.
"I approach the day with massive organization, knowing what I and my assistant need to accomplish," says Neil Patel, a online marketer and founder of Quick Sprout. “I train every morning before I start my day, then I spend time getting dressed. We all feel more confident when we look good and it shows in how you approach the day. ”
For years, I would wake up, rush in the shower, put together some breakfast, and rush to work. I felt like I was constantly running throughout the day and could never catch up. Everything changed when I started waking up earlier and creating a morning routine.
My personal morning routine consists of the following:
1 liter of water with a little lemon juice
A series of dynamic stretches for 10 minutes to activate my muscles and get my blood flowing
Listening to or reading something positive to put my mind in a peak mental state for the day, whether it's podcasts, books, or something inspirational; not news or facebook which usually has a lot of negativity in it
Eating a breakfast of protein and fat with almost no carbs to optimize my hormones to produce the energy boosting ones instead of the energy boosting ones in a relaxed and mellow mood
Although morning routines have become increasingly popular, I find a lot of people forget to cut themselves. It's very hard to fall asleep while we're still pounded by the day (and we know bad sleep is good for nothing).
Many successful entrepreneurs I've interviewed also have a power off routine to end their days. For many, this includes expressing gratitude and keeping a diary of everything that went well, as well as what could have gone better, to keep everything in perspective.
Cut out the screens and bright lights, then actively performing 30 minutes of light reading before turning off the lights for the evening, can be one of the best ways to ensure you drift off into dreamland with ease.
Related: The daily habits of the most productive people
