The key to accomplishing great things, staying productive, and general success is discipline. This is particularly true in success in business leaders. That means having a routine and sticking to it, and according to top leaders, it usually involves a healthy breakfast, jogging, and keeping your inbox empty.
Discipline is probably the one trait most associated with achievement. It’s because accomplishing great things involves consistently doing the right things over and over again, even when it’s hard.
Take exercise, for example. It’s a habit that many highly successful people credit for helping them feel energized, creative, and focused.
The difference between mediocre people and those who truly do great things? The latter will run the miles and lift the heavyweights, even when they don’t feel like it.
Here are the daily habits my research gives the best results:
Manage stress
I take time to myself in three ways. The first is through extreme adrenaline sports, either downhill biking or athletic skiing. These require focus and skill in order to be ready for unexpected obstacles or to control [high] speeds in skiing, and they serve both as healthy distractions and physical training.
My second hobby is cardio, whether it be cycling with a street bike or ski mountaineering. This is almost like meditating, the body knows what to do and you can replace mind chanting with breathing, relaxation, and pure enjoyment.
Lastly, I’m venturing into a new experience with Reiki yoga, in the hopes of becoming a master. I was recently enlightened following a trip to India. Consequently, all of these activities contribute to setting myself up for success with stress management and increased performance.
Plan the details of your day
I’m pretty obsessed with my calendar. Every moment of the day is accounted for, to make sure I’m spending my time on the things that are driving progress. I don’t want to get sucked into replying to emails or getting distracted.
I schedule time not only for meetings but for working on projects or tasks, clearing out emails, thinking, and brainstorming, and planning for the week ahead. Even my workouts, and what things I need to remember for the kids the next day. It’s my compass on what I should be doing at any given time
Start the day with 10 minutes of meditation
Every morning I wake up with a cup of coffee, then mediate for 10 minutes in the stillness of my living room. I like starting my day with intention, and meditating helps me center my focus on what I want to accomplish in my business, personal life, health, and relationships. The mind is a very powerful tool, and when you concentrate your energies on a limited set of goals, amazing things begin to happen.
Michael Jordan once said, ‘You must expect great things of yourself before you can do them.’ I also remind myself how lucky and thankful I am to be doing what I love with such talented and inspiring people.
Be a reader
I’m a heavy reader of mysteries. I started when I was a kid with Agatha Christie, then I moved west with Connelly and others. Now I’ve grown to love historical bios and even today’s political essays. It’s a great escape for me to jump into a new or unfamiliar environment through novels, or to broaden my perspective and genuine interest in specific historical periods or today’s political context through essays.
Remove distractions
One of the biggest challenges of today’s world is isolating yourself from all the clutter of life. To remove distraction, I use noise-canceling headphones and do not listen to any music with lyrics. With fewer distractions, I find my concentration increases exponentially, and I’m much more productive.”
Spend time alone in the morning
I always find time alone in the morning, whether it’s walking the dog or eating breakfast by myself, to clearly set my priorities, so I know what I need to accomplish each day. I make sure to outline not only my personal priorities, but also priorities for my team, so I can be sure both get done.
Once I get into the office, my day becomes about how I can take any obstacles out of the way for my team, so they can execute at the highest level on their priorities. I like to call this work on the business rather than in the business. Empowering employees to do their best work has always been the key to my success, as well as being the hallmark of a world-class organization.
Make the most of your commute
I try to maximize my time by using my commute for planning and thinking. Several days a week I jog or bike to work to give my mind space to decompress and mull over business problems.
Research has shown that exercise improves memory and learning, and I’ve found it helps my creativity. Often ideas that come to me during my commute are then the basis for directions the company will take within the next week or month.
Never leave any emails unread
My inbox has zero or close to zero emails and it has been that way for years. My rules are: First, when I get an email, I will respond to it right away if I think it needs my response, as much as possible.
Second, if I have to think about it, I will mostly do it in 24 hours or acknowledge if it is going to take longer.
Third, if they do not meet the first or second rule, I will never respond to them. Fourth, for topics I am not interested in, I will put a rule to auto-delete them so as not to waste my time. This helps me be on top of things and stay productive.
Smile and talk to strangers
Growing up in Texas, it was normal behavior to look someone in the eye and smile at them as they walk toward you on the sidewalk. Living in Boston and now San Francisco, it became clear that’s definitely not normal behavior everywhere.
