Elon Musk's 10 Productivity Secrets for Insane Success

Elon Musk is currently one of the most influential people in the business world, thanks to his futuristic ambitions, including self-driving cars and trips to Mars. But beyond visionary, Musk has other qualities that guide him in his projects.

Many of his ideas and ways of thinking and working were brought together in the book "Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX and the Quest for a Fantastic Future", a trip through the ups and downs of one of the major leaders of our time.

We gave a short compilation of some of Musk's ideas on productivity and how the concepts applied by the executive can be replicated by anyone who wants to succeed, whether in personal or business life. Check out:

1. Worst comes first

Musk starts the day dealing with really important emails that allow other people to get on with their business. He starts work at 7 am and spends an average half hour answering the most critical messages from his employees.

2. Constant evaluation

Musk has a tight schedule, so he is always thinking about how to optimize his time. According to him, it is very important to constantly think about how to do things better. "I think this is the best advice: always think about how you could do things better and ask yourself, " says the executive.

3. Primitive notion

Primitive notion is a basic assumption that cannot be deduced from any other proposition; that is, it is the only right thing in a complex problem. Musk uses this assumption to build his thinking from the start.

“You look at the fundamentals and build your thinking on it, and then see if you have a conclusion that works or not. And it may or may not be different from what people have done in the past. Still, it's harder to think that way, ”he explains.

4. Email still reigns

Musk prefers to communicate by email or text messages, both asynchronous forms of communication. "I love email. Whenever possible, I try to communicate asynchronously. I'm very good at email, " he says. In addition, the executive uses an unobtrusive email address, all in order to make the chance more remote. to be contacted by people outside his company.

5. Improve communication

While not building rockets and revolutionizing the automotive industry, Musk is sending emails. He is extremely clear, concise and straightforward in his emails and always sends messages with company updates, ways of communication, vision and mission, and tips on how to be more productive.

6. Batch Tasks

Musk has a multitasking strategy too, of course: whenever possible, he combines a variety of tasks together, such as answering emails while eating or meeting at lunch. While multitasking is not such a good idea, the idea of ​​bringing together similar activities is often quite effective.

7. Programming

Having to take care of several companies at the same time, it is natural that Musk schedules his day in a very specific and detailed way so as not to lose himself and waste time. He divides his day into small 5-minute spaces, prioritizing engineering, design and manufacturing: 80% of the time is devoted to these areas.

8. Embrace Long Goals

One of Musk's most famous features is his tendency to set incredibly ambitious deadlines for his companies' projects. He uses "elongated" goals as a way of changing perception: "The first step is to establish that something is possible, so it probably will be, " he says.

9. Growth Mindset

Elon Musk is not satisfied with where he is now. His company has achieved huge achievements, but he knows there is always room for more growth in any area. According to the executive, there is always a better, faster or cheaper way of doing things.

10. Broad Knowledge Base

According to his brother, Musk used to read two books a day in his youth. In other words: he devoured knowledge. This led him to a broad understanding of many areas such as physics, mathematics, engineering and computer science.