Elon Musk's 3 Productivity Secrets 🚀

Hi guys, Noah (noahxboa) here,

I was recently thinking…

Elon Musk manages to run five companies. Each is worth multi-billions. Yet he still has time to post memes all day on Twitter… 😂??

What’s going on? I mean you can't even finish your 5 bullet point to-do list.

One of those points includes getting rid of those old coffee mugs that have been sitting in your room for the last 4 months. 😅 (It’s okay we’ve all been there)

So, in today’s newsletter we’re examining 3 hacks you can steal from directly Elon Musk to get 10X more done:

1. Don’t Do Meetings ❌

Musk has a rule in his companies where if you don’t feel like you are adding value to a meeting, you can get up and leave that meeting. Meetings are the biggest time wasters in modern work, so only schedule them if you really need them.

If I do have to have them, I try to schedule them to only one day per week: so the rest are free for me to get into deep proper work! I recommended this advice to my Dad, whom I noticed seemed to spend every 3rd hour of his day in meetings. It worked a charm.

Find ways to avoid meetings. Send voice notes. Find a good software. I have recently been loving using Loom, a great video capture extension for Chrome. It’s like recording a Zoom call by yourself. You can show your computer screen to visualise things etc. It’s been great using it to communicate with my team of editors. It leaves a transcription of exactly what I say and uses AI to summarise the main points. (not sponsored)

2. Use Stretch Goals 🙆‍♂️

Musk is known for setting ambitious deadlines that push the limits of what's possible. Just look at all of the failed announcements Tesla has had. They were supposed to release that Tesla Roadster years ago! And wasn’t the Cyber Truck supposed to be on the road by now?

Jokes aside, the point of Elon setting unrealistic stretch goals is to challenge him to reach beyond his perceived limits.

You might set the goal “I want to get 1K followers in a month”. This is not a stretch goal.

Instead, set the goal, “I want to get 10K followers in a month”. Now that’s nearly a stretch goal.

To reach Elon Musk level, set the goal “I want to get 100K followers in a month” - now that’s a mentality that will really push you. That’s a stretch goal.

The truth is, you will most likely not achieve this goal. But by setting an unrealistic goal, you will have progressed far quicker. If you are going to be working on that goal anyway: surely you should work with the best, most ambitious mindset possible. Stretch your goals.

Don't settle for what's easy; aim high, and you'll achieve more than you thought possible.

3. Shower Every Day 🚿

Yes, it may sound simple. It may sound like basic advice your Mum gives you. But Musk believes in the power of a daily shower.

Years ago in a Reddit AMA, Elon Musk said “showering” was the best daily habit that had the most positive impact on his life. And there’s a good reason why.

It's not just about cleanliness; it's about taking your personal appearance seriously to take your work more seriously. When you start your day fresh, you're more likely to have a productive day.

I recently heard Jordan Peterson speak live. One of the key things he said was to focus on changing the small things that have big impacts. In other words, sort your life out. Be clean, take pride in your presentation, clean your room.

Focusing on small habits like showering has the biggest direct rewards in your life and productivity. ⚡️

If you are going to take action on these points, reply to this email with ‘ACTION’, and I’ll send you a free bonus! Any questions: let me know!

See you soon,

Noah (@noahxboa)

Now prepare for take-off you productivity monster!