Elon Musk is an engineer, a technology, designer, and a booming entrepreneur off the boardroom. He is a loving father to six kids. His latest bundle of joy arriving in 2020, he is practically productive everywhere.
He also jointly runs 5 of his companies in his attractive work portfolio. How does he manage to balance all these aspects of his life? Let’s sit tight and unmask this riddle.
Elon Musk productively utilized his time without even a minute to spare. There are various urgent responsibilities awaiting him 360 days a year. Successful people start with time management while you nag and turn against the alarm bell. So, How does Elon Musk organize his day?
How busy is Elon Musk’s schedule?
Elon Musk is known to be involved in multiple ventures and projects, which can keep him quite busy. Here are some examples:
Tesla Inc.:
Elon Musk is the CEO of Tesla, an electric vehicle and clean energy company. He is involved in the strategic direction, product development, and operations of the company, which requires significant time and attention.
SpaceX:
Musk is the founder and CEO of SpaceX, a private aerospace manufacturer, and space transportation company. He is actively involved in developing next-generation space technologies, planning and executing space missions, and pursuing ambitious goals such as colonizing Mars.
Neuralink:
Musk is the co-founder and CEO of Neuralink, a neurotechnology company focused on developing brain-computer interfaces. This venture aims to develop cutting-edge technologies to enhance human brain capabilities and potentially address neurological conditions.
The Boring Company:
Musk founded The Boring Company, a tunnel construction and infrastructure company. The Boring Company is focused on developing innovative tunneling technologies to alleviate urban congestion and improve transportation infrastructure.
OpenAI:
Elon Musk has been associated with OpenAI, an artificial intelligence research lab, although he stepped down from the board in 2018. OpenAI aims to advance the field of artificial intelligence in a safe and beneficial manner.
SolarCity, Hyperloop, and other ventures:
Musk has been involved in various other ventures, including SolarCity (solar energy services), Hyperloop (high-speed transportation), and others, which may require his time and attention.
In addition to these ventures, Musk is also known for his active presence on social media and his involvement in various philanthropic and advocacy efforts. Overall, it is likely that Elon Musk has a busy schedule, managing his various companies, pursuing his ambitious goals, and is engaged in multiple projects and activities.
How does Elon Musk manage his time?
Morning’s routine
Billionaires can barely wait for the morning to get started meetings after meetings in a previous interview. The tech guru said he gets six hours of regular sleep and wakes up by 7 a.m.
That automatically means he goes to bed around midnight and against the norm of the majority, Elon usually skips breakfast so that he can kick-start his ever-jam-packed schedule. That means the only thing he does after waking up has a quick shower and before leaving for the office, he takes about 30 minutes to respond to urgent and relevant emails.
The emails he receives and replies determine how his day at work is going to be, so after going through them, Elon Musk makes changes to his diary if needed.
Elon is the person who drops his 5 kids at school every morning after sorting the emails. I wonder how the kids feel when they are stepping out of a car that was designed and driven by their father despite his status and popularity.
Elon Musk’s morning schedule includes dropping his kids off at school as well the billionaire would then drive himself to work from the school. For a man who constantly multitasks running Tesla and SpaceX side-by-side, when he says he works 85 to 100 hours a week.
Elon spends 80% of his time in the office trying to come up with new designs; 20% he uses to conducting face-to-face boardroom meetings. Elon is not quite a lover of phone communication, he prefers communicating via email. He has an obscure email address that prevents unknown predators from jamming up his mailbox, this leaves room for only essential emails to get to him.
Five minutes slots
A unique way Elon Musk organizes his day and adopts it into his daily working routine is how he divides his plans into five-minute slots. Each slot is designated as a specific objective, it helps him cover more areas in the shortest time possible. After all, a goal without a plan will always remain a wish and Elon Musk understands that more than anybody else.
SpaceX and Tesla
Elon Musk spends Mondays, Fridays, and part of Saturdays working at SpaceX. He spends an average of 40 hours spread across these three days. That is the standard working time for any employee in a week by Labor Standards. The rest of the days he spends at Tesla, trying to figure out the next best design of automobile to develop here.
Elon Musk is a workaholic with his schedule as tight as it seems the business magnate and philanthropist, still finds a few hours to visit his nonprofit organization. When it comes to lunch, the billionaire can only afford 5 minutes to spare, most of the time in the middle of meetings.
Elon Musk’s busy schedule provides insight into how to be successful but it is not for everyone. For productivity’s sake, he plans and executes his day without missing an inch of it and this is the only way one man can manage to keep track of five companies.
Work Dinner
Busy day in the office all day all week but after work Elon still has 1 – 2 hours to attend to other needs. He usually attends work dinners as much as they are not directly related to his duties, they serve as a vital spot for networking. Musk also confesses to only working out in the gym twice a week, an hour session.
He finally gets home and the brilliant engineer often keeps his brain in check by reading a few pages of his favorite books, among them The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien and Benjamin Franklin, an American Life by Walter Isaacson for the few people who have rubbed shoulders carefully with Elon most of them confessed that he is one of the most brilliant brains they’ve come across around 1:00 a.m. in the night he goes to bed till 7 a.m. then the routine restarts the weekend serves as Eden’s free time even though he spends a few hours.
Bedtime
Of the few people who have rubbed shoulders carefully with Elon most of them confessed that he is one of the most brilliant brains they’ve come across around 1:00 a.m. At the night he goes to bed till 7 a.m.
Weekends
The weekend serves as Eden’s free time, even though he spends a few hours at SpaceX on Saturday. The better part of the day and the entire Sunday he is a free man from official duties, he spends time with his children, catching up and asking questions about school.
Free time
He is also a big fan of video games which he plays with his sons. Elon is a big fan of games such as Overwatch and No Man’s Sky in 2017. During an interview with Glassdoor magazine, when asked about what he does in his free time, Elon responded by playing games with his kids, movies, hanging out with friends, and occasionally having wild parties.
It seems our guy is not as dull as we initially thought. He also tweeted back in 2017 about the red wine vintage record and closed the tweet with the word magic meaning he enjoys a little retreat and his wine Winfrey.
The tech billionaire also enjoys baking cookies, at least going by his Sunday tweet back in 2016, he asked his millions of fans on Twitter Sunday morning to bake or not to bake cookies. That is not even a question, definitely bake we can conclude that maybe his culinary skills are as amazing as his engineering skills.
Other things that Elon Musk does in his short free time include traveling to new destinations with his friends, a huge Star Wars fan. The futuristic entrepreneur spends his hard-earned billions spotting and buying properties he feels fit into his plans.
Did you know Elon Musk has never received a paycheck from Tesla despite spending a big part of his life building it? He declined his $56,000 annual salary and worked for free, he owns multi-million palatial homes in Los Angeles which he scouted himself and decides which one best suit his leisure needs.
When he is free back in college, Elon and his roommate would turn their house into a disco so they could use the proceeds to pay rent. Now he chooses where and when he wants to sleep as a notorious workaholic, Elon Musk doesn’t enjoy so much luxury as other people of his status would.
Main priority
His children and his plans are his main priority. As an admirer of Benjamin Franklin, Elon Musk must have adopted his quote “By failing to prepare you are preparing to fail”, despite his evidently busy schedule, he still finds time for his family. However much we may be busy, family time always remains essential.
Elon Musk through his routine has also shed light on how to avoid unnecessary distractions when at work by filtering his email flow and switching off his phone. Most of the time, all these sacrifices are aimed at obtaining maximum productivity.
Keep mind and body active
Elon Musk organizes his day by working out and frequently reading, Elon keeps his mind and body active. There is no specific time he sits back and does absolutely nothing. He is always committed. Billionaires like Elon Musk turn their routine into a habit and the pattern stands as their primary gateway to success. To be as wealthy as Elon is a great deal of discipline.
The body and the mind should always read from the same script all day. As much as he expects a lot from himself, the world hopes a lot from him. He remembers well but too much work without play will definitely make a dull boy. That’s why he tries to split his time and have a bit of fun with family and also friends.
Most of Elon’s inspiring quotes revolve around the need to start a productive day in the morning. My favorite is “If you wake up in the morning and think the future is going to be better, it is a bright day”.
Elon doesn’t seem motivated by money. It seems that his wealth is more like a byproduct of his work.
This is how Elon Musk organizes his day. Successful people don’t become that way overnight. What most people see as a glance-wealth, a great career, and purpose is the result of hard work and hustles over time. I pray that anyone who reads this will be successful in life.
8 Key Principles for Managing Time from Elon Musk
Time management is the process of planning, organizing, and allocating time effectively to various tasks, activities, and priorities to optimize productivity and achieve desired goals. Setting priorities is a critical aspect of time management, as it helps individuals make informed decisions about how to allocate their time and attention to the most important and impactful tasks. Here are some key principles for managing time and setting priorities effectively:
Identify and clarify your goals:
Before managing your time, it’s essential to have clear goals in mind. What are you trying to achieve? Understanding your short-term and long-term goals helps you prioritize tasks that align with those objectives.
Prioritize tasks based on importance and urgency:
Determine which tasks are most important and require immediate attention. Urgent and important tasks should be given higher priority, while less urgent and less important tasks can be deferred or delegated.
Plan and schedule:
Create a plan or schedule that outlines your tasks and activities, allocating time for each task based on its priority. Set realistic deadlines to ensure you stay focused and organized.
Avoid multitasking:
Multitasking can often decrease productivity as it can lead to divided attention and reduced focus on individual tasks. It’s generally more effective to focus on one task at a time and complete it before moving on to the next.
Learn to say “no”:
It’s important to recognize your limits and avoid overcommitting yourself. Be selective about taking on new tasks or responsibilities, and learn to say “no” when necessary to protect your time and prioritize your existing commitments.
Delegate and outsource:
Delegating tasks to others, when possible, can free up your time for more critical activities. Identify tasks that can be delegated or outsourced to others, and trust and empower your team or colleagues to handle them.
Be flexible and adaptable:
Be prepared to adjust your plans and priorities as circumstances change. Unexpected events or changes in priorities may require you to reevaluate and readjust your time management strategies.
Practice self-care:
Taking care of yourself, including getting enough sleep, eating well, and staying physically and mentally healthy, is crucial for effective time management. When you’re well-rested and in good health, you’re better equipped to manage your time and priorities effectively.
Remember, time management is a personal skill, and what works best for one person may not work for another. It’s important to find a time management approach that suits your unique needs and preferences and consistently practice good time management habits to achieve optimal productivity.
