15 Habits For Maximum Productivity

With practical steps, effective time management and strong willpower you can achieve anything you set your mind to. Pursuing my creative vision and big dreams have come with its challenges, obstacles, and hardships. I had to put in place the right systems, use the best tools, develop proper habits and surround myself with key people. Majority of my ambitions, I have accomplished, and this has been a rewarding experience.  However, I still have a long road ahead of me. All the things I still aspire to do cannot be done by just snapping my fingers. In the past, I have incorporated certain daily habits for maximum productivity that got me closer to my goal, and I will continue to use those same strategies for success. Extraordinary things can be unleashed by just doing small tasks every day over a period. Often I am asked, “How was I able to do this all?”  Today I will share with you the 15 habits I exercise daily for optimal output. 

1. The Right Mindset - You need to take the time out to invest in your mind. Your subconscious mind drives 90 percent of your actions. The mental dialogue in my mind gives me inherent power and the push to go after my dreams. My vision, my goals, and aspirations are clear to me. I believe that I can achieve anything I set my mind to. There is no room for doubts, fears or procrastination. I have trained my mind to have a go-getter attitude. Your passion combined with the right mindset will give you the tenacity, perseverance, and endurance to spend countless hours pursuing your goals happily. If your mindset is breeding negative voices, then most likely you will not be efficient on a daily basis. 

2. Write Out Your Plan - Did you know that human beings on average have about 50, 000 - 70, 000 thoughts a day? We have so much activity and thoughts running through our minds every day. Writing out my goals and tasks is the best way for me to get clarity and shut down my mind to focus on tasks on hand. I set my annual goals, then break them down into months, then into daily tasks. This methodology allows me to see the whole picture and works to remind of what I’m striving for on a regular basis with the smaller jobs. Furthermore, I preserve my mental energy and stay focused in the present moment.

3. To Do List - Most people regard to-do lists as a time waste and instead, advocate for a scheduled calendar. Contrarily, I am a to-do list enthusiast. Everything on my to-do list will not all be programmed in, but it gives me a bird's eye view of everything that needs to be tackled in the short term and long term. From that list, I can categorize items that are urgent or low priority. My schedule can then be tailored to give preferences to tasks that are most important.

4. Have A Schedule -  On a day to day to basis, I have most of the tasks on my to-do list scheduled with a few reminders throughout my day. The schedule is my coach, keeping me on track, reminding me of what’s ahead to ensure I make the most of my day. I have an annual schedule for the year, and then a month to month schedule. Majority of the time, my itinerary is filled up to 80%, the other 20% I leave room for unexpected things. As a business owner for years, I’ve learned this happens often.  

5. Have A Morning Ritual - Everyday we must be focused and energized. Hence, why the start of your day is significant, and I have a few rituals I have custom-built for myself to nurture me. My days and weekends are hectic. My mornings are usually the only ME time I get. It’s imperative to reset ourselves from stressors and challenges we deal with on a daily basis, so we can continue to give others a 100 percent. I carve out 30-40 minutes every morning to care for myself. First and foremost, I rise early anywhere between 5 am - 6 am, giving me a head start to work from others along with a few more extra hours to tackle challenging tasks. I jump in for a quick 5-minute shower for relaxation followed by a prayer ritual for 10 minutes. The prayer is my meditation, that works to strengthen my mind and body, instilling positivity, gratitude and peacefulness within.  My exercise routine, morning coffee, and healthy breakfast, further gives me that extra energy boost I need throughout the day. Now, my mind is set to work, and I begin to review my calendar. Many successful people have a fixed morning ritual. Don’t start off your day being reactive, but proactive.

6. Exercise - Numerous research studies conducted show a link between physical exercise with increased productivity. Physical activity even for a short period will give you that energy boost and increased mental focus that most of us lose throughout the day. My exercise routine fits into my morning ritual. Just 20 minutes of exercise will release all those feel-good hormones norepinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine. Exercise strengthens our body to deal with stress and ensures we are performing at optimal levels. 

7. A Night Ritual - Both your morning and your night ritual go hand in hand. The ending of your day will influence your morning. Hence why I have disciplined myself to end the night off preparing for the next day.  I review my briefing notes, task list for tomorrow along with my schedule.  Once, I have finished prep for the next day; I allocate time for relaxation.  Bonding with my family and reading the news is how I finish off my night. For health and longevity, sleep is crucial. I don’t have a set time to sleep, but I always try to get a minimum of 3-4 hours for maximum productivity. 

8. The 80/20 rule - 20 percent of activity will give you 80 percent of results.  This is a simplified rule, the Pareto Principle.  Ever since I learned about this rule, it’s become second nature. I filter out my tasks according to how much results they will drive.  Actions taken towards my goal must give me 80 percent results. The remaining I must assign to someone else or not engage in it. 

9. Building Out Systems - I am a big believer of having multiple systems to prevent myself from any future self-sabotaging habits. We all have them, it could be fear, procrastination, a busy schedule, etc. I’ve spent a considerable amount of time studying myself; I’m aware of my future self-saboteur. To beat my future self, I build out systems. That could be delegating tasks, building out a motivation protocol, using IT to collect data for analysis or just setting a few reminders throughout the day.  

10. Delegating Tasks - As CEO of a company, with over 2000 employees I run short of time to oversee every single person and every single task. To minimize my supervision, I strategically pick and choose individuals I know will deliver on assigned tasks and direct others to do their job. If your not a CEO, you can still delegate tasks within your network to achieve your goals. So, let go of your control issues and leave the micromanaging to someone else.

11. Get Comfortable To Saying NO - Your time is your most valuable asset. You must stay focused on your goal. Anything that doesn’t bring me closer to reaching my goals, I do not entertain it and have gotten comfortable with saying NO. When I get approached for my time, I request the individual to send me an email. It takes me a few seconds to review the email and assess whether it is aligned with my goals.  

12. The Tough Love Approach - One of my favorite sayings is ”When you commit to something, do it until it hurts.” I use this philosophy, on myself and my employees. I have a growth mindset, and I continuously pressure and push myself out of my comfort zone to the point where it hurts.  Setting hard limits to achieve unreasonable outcomes, pushes us beyond our capacity and make us super productive. It is only with pressure we come up with new innovative, efficient processes.  

13. Touch Things Only Twice - Most people will argue that looking at things twice is a waste of time. My approach is different. I review and look at things just for 1-2 minutes, and then I drop it. This gives me additional time to contemplate it in my mind, bounce any ideas before I start working on the task.  For example, it could be a bill, a sponsorship package or a business decision. My motto is that you should know everything that is on your plate before you eat it. 

14. Focus on MIT - As a serial entrepreneur and now a CEO. I have never had the luxury to focus on just one thing. I have to multi-task. Usually, on regular tasks, I am familiar with I give 70 percent of my attention and 20 percent to other things simultaneously.  However, for my MIT= Most Important Tasks, I carve out time to provide it my full attention, just working on that one thing. MIT are items that get you closer to your goals and increase your overall output.

15. Focus on time -  There isn’t enough time in the day. It’s the most precious resource that cannot be retrieved. With this mindset, I try to make use of the only 1440 minutes I have every day. Instead of keeping an hour by hour schedule, I keep a minute by minute calendar to make the best use of my time.