History is filled with men and women who got significantly more done on a daily basis than seems strictly possible. The legendary production of people like Leonardo DaVinci and Benjamin Franklin is mind boggling, and more than a little humbling to those of us who struggle to get to the gym three times a week or pick up our dry cleaning on time.
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Productivity Hacks of 8 Famous Thinkers and Leaders
2. Productivity Hacks!!!!
History is filled with men and women who got
significantly more done on a daily basis than
seems strictly possible. The legendary production
of people like Leonardo DaVinci and Benjamin
Franklin is mind boggling, and more than a little
humbling to those of us who struggle to get to
the gym three times a week or pick up our dry
cleaning on time.
3. How did they do it?
What superhuman traits did these super-productive few wield
that we can learn from? For the most part, nothing that you
and I can’t put to use on our own on a daily basis, though there
are more than a few unexpected hacks that can supercharge
your productivity in ways you might not expect.
5. Leonardo DaVinci
Leonardo DaVinci was
a maestro of
productivity. Just look
at the man’s list of
accomplishments and
you realize he must
never have slept.
6. While there are numerous unproven myths about how
DaVinci got so much done in his lifetime — from sleeping
for 20 minutes every three hours, to clever variants of
outsourcing — we know one thing for certain: he was an
active man.
There is no point in the recorded histories of DaVinci’s life that we see
him inactive — not pursuing a new trade, completing one of his
masterpieces, or developing a theorem. There is something to be said
for downtime, but so, too, is there something to be said for finding
the things you love in life and pursuing them daily.
7. His Touching Quotes
I love those who can smile
in trouble, who can gather
strength from distress,
and grow brave by reflection.
9. Ben Franklin is one of America’s most prolific politicians,
writers, and inventors, having been instrumental in the
American Revolution, the building of American government
and inventing numerous useful tools in his life.
His 13 virtues are legendary for laying out how to live one’s
life to maintain temperance, order, frugality, sincerity,
justice and more.
If you are looking for a key to understanding how he got so
much done in his life, those 13 virtues are a perfect guide.
10. His Touching Quotes
Money has never made man
happy, nor will it, there is
nothing in its nature to produce
happiness. The more of it one
has the more one wants.
12. Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela is not the only
person on this list to get up early
each day, but his early morning
walks are somewhat legendary in
their own right — a time for him to
think about what the day might
hold, to process the day before,
and to appreciate the freedom to
enjoy that time.
13. Whether you go to the gym, read the
paper, or go for a long walk every
morning, getting up early and triggering
the physical and mental processes that
will lead to greater productivity is a sure
fire way to get more done.
Nelson Mandela
14. His Touching Quotes
? "I hate race discrimination
most intensely and in all its
manifestations. I have fought
it all during my life; I fight it
now, and will do so until the
end of my days."
16. SylviaPlath
Sylvia Plath famously woke up early to write every
morning, getting as much done as she could
before her children woke up.
The same is true of many writers, thinkers,
executives and statesmen and women. There’s
something about those first two to three hours
of every day when no one is awake and the
world is yours.
17. If you frequently find yourself interrupted
by distractions, phone calls, family
members or something else that keeps
you from getting work done, consider
waking up earlier and getting the most
important tasks on your to do list done
before anyone else is even awake.
SylviaPlath
18. Thomas Edison was a Famous Napper.
Every day he would settle down for an
hour or two to nap, recharging his mind
and body for greater productivity later in
the day.
19. Speaking of Churchill, this was a man who took
great care with his personal time. Despite
running one of the most powerful countries
in the world during its most trying times,
Churchill would set aside hours every day to
nap, take a bath, dress and eat his evening
meals in peace.
He credited his routines for keeping him
focused and sane through what would be
the hardest period of leadership in Britain
during the 20th century.
20. Henry Ford
One of his many sayings (and there were many)
was that the “Greatest thing in life is
experience. Even mistakes have value.” He
believed that if you are going to fail, you
should fail fast and learn from that failure.