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As a final complement to the recent newsletters on productivity - and since August is over and it's time to get back to work - we’ve decided to wrap up this cycle with a trip down weird lane. What if we told you that some of the world's most successful people have adopted borderline bizarre habits, and - brace yourself - they work? Take Winston Churchill, for example. He led Britain through WWII, and his productivity hack? Working from bed. Yeah, you read that right. Churchill would spend the first few hours of his day in bed, dictating letters, reading reports, and generally getting things done while in his pajamas. This is about setting a relaxed tone, so when you finally get to your desk, you’re primed to crush it. Next up, let's talk about Beethoven. One of history's most prolific composers had a strange little ritual to get his creativity flowing. He would count out 60 coffee beans every morning for his brew. Now, am I saying you should start counting beans like a maniac? No, but there's a lesson here: developing a small, somewhat quirky routine can get your brain in the right headspace. The repetition becomes a cue that it’s time to work. Maybe for you it's just listening to some uplifting song. It’s the ritual, not the coffee, that gets you there. Then there's Steve Jobs, who would walk around barefoot in meetings. The key insight here is to lean into comfort and flow, even when it seems unconventional. Jobs believed it helped him think more creatively, and there's science to back it up. Physical comfort, like ditching the tight dress shoes or rigid office chair, can loosen up your brain and encourage deeper thinking.
But, as we said in the last newsletter, we have to keep something in our mind: obsessing over perfection is a productivity killer. Elon Musk, with his relentless work ethic, is known for his ‘fail fast’ philosophy. If something isn't working, he shifts gears quickly. The lesson here? Perfection is for amateurs. Powerful people don’t aim to avoid mistakes; they expect them, learn, and move on. Productivity isn’t about being perfect. It's about moving forward.
So, adopt the strange, embrace the quirky, and for the love of everything, stop trying to be perfect. The powerful know that true productivity isn’t about fitting into someone else’s box. It’s about finding what works for you, no matter how bizarre it may seem. Have a great week! Prime Human Performance
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