We are fascinated by billionaires and entrepreneurs. Why are they so much more successful than others? Why they create so much in one hour as much as mortals in a week?
There is no secret. When we look at the daily routine of people like Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates or Elon Musk, we discover certain patterns. The best thing about this is - we can simply imitate them.
This is how successful people structure their day:
1. They do the same things every morning.
High-Flyer are following a daily routine. So they can start structured into the day. They train themselves to certain behavior. Mark Zuckerberg even goes that far, that he is wearing the same shirt every day (of course he has more than one). In this way, he doesen´t waste time on his outfit.
Successful people know, the early bird catches the worm. Apple CEO Tim Cook, for example, puts his alarm clock on 3:45 am. Then his routine is reading e-mails. They don´t care about getting up so early because they love their job and can´t wait to go back to "work".
Get you a morning boost, for example by cold showers or sports. Twitter founder Jack Dorsey goes jogging at 5.30am. The Disney chief Robert Iger is training at the gym.
2. Before they start working, they reflect
Successful people know where they are. To maintain this, they don´t throw themselves immediately into work. Take ten minutes to think about the forthcoming day.
"To achieve the best results, you have to reflect on what has been, where you are now and where you want to go in future," says workplace expert Lynn Taylor.
3. Are you planning in small time units
The management consultant and best-selling author Kevin Kruse has interviewed more than 200 highly productive people. Among billionaires, Olympic athlete and straight-A student.
He found out that many of them split their day into tiny units of time. While most people are planning in an hourly or every half hour rhythm, Kruse mentioned in the US portal "Forbes" that they count even minutes.
The Olympic gymnast Shannon Miller told him: "Until today, I adhere to a diary, which is planned minute by minute"
4. They begin with the big tasks
Studies have shown that people can work only four or five hours concentrated before the productivity decreases. So it would be fatal to spend this valuable time with administrative tasks or answering countless emails.
Therefore successful people begin with tasks that require alertness and performance. So, for example, write a text, perform calculations, design strategies.
5. Do at lunchtime everything but working
Working through the lunch hour is a mistake. Successful people use the free time to disable or to recharge your batteries. Bill Gates, for example, likes to play cards.
Warren Buffet spends lunch every day with another person. Why?
Since years, he auctioned his lunch time to the highest bidder. The proceeds benefited to charities, but he´s benefitting twice because he´s meeting new and interesting people.
6. They schedule meetings and phone calls on the afternoon
After lunch, many people fall into mid-afternoon energy slump. The body is occupied with digestion.
Successful people use this underachieving time for meetings and calls. Are there fixed dates, there are no excuses. "You must appear to the meeting anyway, so you have to go there and talk to others. It´s helping you to stay focused," says the motivation expert Laura Vanderkam.
7. They schedule a Problem buffer
A day can never be entirely planned. Sometimes something unexpected happens. Therefore successful people schedule a buffer of half an hour, mostly at the end of the workday. In those 30 minutes, they can deal with unexpected problems and seek solutions.
8. After work they remain productive
Of course, you should relax after work and not work until late at night. Successful people use the time still useful. They are looking for new projects and interests which improve them and don't just waste time.
If you ask Elon Musk about the secret behind his success, he says: "I read books". As a teenager, he read two books daily. His hobby he retained until today. He uses books for inspiration and to raise his character.
Musk has made a public list of his favorite books - ranging from "The Lord of the Rings" to the biography of Benjamin Franklin.
Other activities can bring you further, for example learning a foreign language, play a music instrument, draws or collect. Do what creates value in your life.
9. They create the conditions for a healthy sleep
Successful people attach great importance to sleep. They know that sufficient sleep makes productive. They don't use their smartphone an hour before they are going to bed. Media entrepreneur Arianna Huffington has banned even all the technical equipment from the bedroom.
Joel Gascoigne, one of the inventors of the app Buffer, makes every night a walk. "This allows me to evaluate the work of the day, reflect on greater challenges, gradually stop thinking about work and get into a state of fatigue", he writes in his blog.
Successful people don´t do senseless things
They all have one point in common: Successful people do not just live from day to day. Everything they do makes sense. Always reconsider their actions. They bring structure and efficiency in their work.
Everybody can be successful, but success never comes simple. That's maybe why billionaires and founder are so fascinating because they have beliefs and radiate zest. Imitation is therefore entirely desirable.