Be Like Elon

I recently read a great article (listicle?) that aggregated a bunch of public statements from Elon Musk, the founder of Tesla and SpaceX, and the modern day, real life Tony Stark. The publication took all these interviews and then described how a typical day is likely like which I found fascinating.

And while there’s some things I don’t want to adopt (5 minute time slots for my schedule), there’s ONE thing I think every single entrepreneur needs to adopt immediately.

Oddly, it has nothing to do with technology, meetings, email, how often you eat or how long you sleep.

The daily habit that Musk credits having the most impact on his life is… showering.

And whether you think that’s a subtle dig at Apple co-founder and hygienically challenged Steve Jobs or a way for a billionaire to sound “just like normal people” there’s a lesson here I hope you take away.

Actually several lessons.

1. Take care of your body. Feed it, bathe it, cover it in lotions, give it nice clothes and good shoes and stop shoving crap into your pie-hole. You get one body and brilliance and money can’t overcome systemic abuse, decay or neglect.
2. Get out of your house. Okay, this one is a bit hopeful to me because if you’re going out on the daily without a regular shower then I feel sorry for your friends and colleagues. Don’t just sit at home, isolated, because it’s too much effort to be presentable. Wash your hair, put on some deodorant and clean clothes and get out in the world! – even if it’s just to work from a local coffee shop.
3. Work out regularly. Again, maybe a stretch but if you’re not showering every day because you don’t stink then a) are you sure? And b) go sweat! Move your body, take a class, walk the dog, stretch, get crazy with a workout DVD. Don’t just chase your dreams and push the envelope in business – push your limits physically too.
4. Take a break. I’m gonna speak directly to technology companies right now: we do not need phones or tablets that work in the shower, okay? It’s the only space when you have zero worries because there is no email, text message, or social media notification. When you’re in the bath or shower your only job is to scrub up and relax. If you can’t take a 20 minute break every day then there’s something bigger wrong with your business.

In short, if you’re not getting regular exercise, spending time around people, taking care of your body and getting a regular break in your day it’s likely that showering has fallen down on your to do list.

Fix that right now.

One of my favorite things about entrepreneurship is that I can go workout mid-afternoon when the gym is empty or take a cold shower when it’s 108 degrees outside and I need to cool down.

Be like Elon. Make a daily shower non-negotiable.