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5 Habits of the Most Productive People on the Planet

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Have you ever found yourself having more to do with no time left to do it? Desperate, you decide to sacrifice sleep, or spend less time with your loved ones in order to get things done, only to find yourself unfulfilled and burnt out because you have not accomplished anything. While time-management has already given rise to a whole library of books, we seem to be more in need of time-management now than ever before. Look no further.

What follows are five habits of some of the most highly productive people. I cannot promise a miracle, but I can guarantee you if emulate these habits, you will be more productive than ever before.

1. Begin with the end in mind

If you have read Stephen Covey’s bestselling book, “seven habits of the highly effective people”, you have certainly acquainted with this. There is nothing new here, but a mere reminder that you need to start each day with a clearly defined goal to be accomplished. “If you don’t know where you are going, then you probably won’t end up there.” was famously said by Forrest Gump. This quote exemplifies the importance of setting goals, sticking to them and seeing them through.

2. Stop spending major time on minor things

With the advent of smart devices, we find ourselves spending precious time online watching things that waste our time. Usually, we start watching these things with the best intention at heart, oftentimes we end up watching more than we were supposed to. Aristotle argued that too much (or too little) of a good thing is bad. I am not trying to make a case against smart devices, rather just want to remind you to use them in moderation.

Those times spent watching funny videos online will result in us blaming our unproductiveness on demanding bosses and high workload. If we are honest, we know it is hardly the case. According to the law of forced efficiency, there is always enough time to accomplish an important task. With that in mind, the next time you find yourself behind schedule, chances are you have been spending too much time on minor things.

“You will never find the time for anything. If you want time, you must make it.” – Charles Buxton

3. Know your Einstein window

A normal fact of life is that we feel energized and productive during certain times of the day, and even certain days of the week. The common reaction is to engage in self-pity, instead of beating yourself up when you seem to be unable to concentrate, try to understand your patterns. Know your Einstein Window.

Basically, the Albert Einstein Window is that time of the day when you are most likely to experience a state of flow. Learn about yourself and schedule your most important and challenging work during that time. Like most people, our energy waxes and wanes throughout the day. The best strategy is to recognize these patterns and schedule your work accordingly.

4. Control your inputs

Some of us do have goals. But somehow because of the nature of our work, we see ourselves stuck responding to an influx of never-ending tasks competing for our attention. The solution—Control your inputs. Emails and other Information and technology need to be used with moderation or else, we will find ourselves endlessly firefighting throughout the day without having accomplished anything.

Set a time to read emails, or other text messages. Set an automated email response and don’t accept any calls unless it is absolutely important. If you have no control over what gets your attention, you will not have control of how happy and accomplished you are at the end of the day.

5. Maintain two to-do lists

With the best intention at heart, you decide to plan your day, you create a well-structured to-do list, but somehow, you seem to never accomplish much. You keep carrying around the same to-do list you wrote for a month with the same tasks only partially completed. How do you go about solving this issue? Keep two to-do lists; One to-do list will contain long-term and midterm goals and a second one will contain tasks that you will need to accomplish that particular day.

Carrying a to-do list with a task that will take a month to complete every day will do nothing but subconsciously affect your ability to get things done. You may even end up accomplishing irrelevant tasks that will give you a false sense of accomplishment. The goal you accomplish may not be what you should have been doing in the first place. Be strategic.

“Success is never getting to the bottom of your to-do list.” – Marissa Mayer

These are the five major time-management principles that I have learned from some of the busiest, yet most productive people in the world. Managing your time well, will give you a sense of fulfillment that will in return increase your wellbeing. After all, who wouldn’t like to have more time to spend with their loved ones or have more fun?

My name is Bachir Bastien. Being the sparkle that will ignite the fire of possibilities in as many people as possible is how I define myself. I was born and raised in Haiti by my mother. My life has been a struggle since conception. I decided that I was going to use my stories to empower others. These experiences may have been lemons, but I can use them to make sweet lemonade. This is what I have decided to do. That became my life purpose. My first name Bachir means messenger of good news in Arabic; I have been doing just that for the past two years here in Taiwan through articles, workshops, seminars and speeches. I have seen students changing behaviors, increase in confidence, watched students conquer stage fright, etc. This in turn gives me the unwavering certitude that I can empower more people.

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Success Advice

Why One-Size-Fits-All Leadership Will Always Fail (and What Works Instead)

The surprising truth about leadership styles that can make or break your team’s success.

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Why one-size-fits-all leadership doesn’t work
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Leadership has always been as much about people as it is about performance. Ken Blanchard, in his influential book, “The One Minute Manager”, put it simply: different strokes for different folks. (more…)

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Success Advice

What Every New CEO Must Do in Their First 100 Days (or Risk Failure)

Your first 100 days as CEO could define your entire legacy, here’s how to make every move count

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When Tim Cook took over from Steve Jobs at Apple, the world watched with bated breath. Jobs wasn’t just a CEO; he was a visionary, an icon, and a legend of innovative leadership. (more…)

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Entrepreneurs

The Leadership Shift Every Company Needs in 2025

Struggling to keep your team engaged? Here’s how leaders can turn frustrated employees into loyal advocates.

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Bridging the gap between employees and employers
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In workplaces around the world, there’s a growing gap between employers and employees and between superiors and their teams. It’s a common refrain: “People don’t leave companies, they leave bad bosses.”

While there are, of course, cases where management could do better, this isn’t just a “bad boss” problem. The relationship between leaders and employees is complex. Instead of assigning blame, we should explore practical solutions to build stronger, healthier workplaces where everyone thrives.

Why This Gap Exists

Every workplace needs someone to guide, supervise, and provide feedback. That’s essential for productivity and performance. But because there are usually far more employees than managers, dissatisfaction, fair or not, spreads quickly.

What if, instead of focusing on blame, we focused on building trust, empathy, and communication? This is where modern leadership and human-centered management can make a difference.

Tools and Techniques to Bridge the Gap

Here are proven strategies leaders and employees can use to foster stronger relationships and create a workplace where people actually want to stay.

1. Practice Mutual Empathy

Both managers and employees need to recognize they are ultimately on the same team. Leaders have to balance people and performance, and often face intense pressure to hit targets. Employees who understand this reality are more likely to cooperate and problem-solve collaboratively.

2. Maintain Professional Boundaries

Superiors should separate personal issues from professional decision-making. Consistency, fairness, and integrity build trust, and trust is the foundation of a motivated team.

3. Follow the Golden Rule

Treat people how you would like to be treated. This simple principle encourages compassion and respect, two qualities every effective leader must demonstrate.

4. Avoid Micromanagement

Micromanaging stifles creativity and damages morale. Great leaders see themselves as partners, not just bosses, and treat their teams as collaborators working toward a shared goal.

5. Empower Employees to Grow

Empowerment means giving employees responsibility that matches their capacity, and then trusting them to deliver. Encourage them to take calculated risks, learn from mistakes, and problem-solve independently. If something goes wrong, turn it into a learning opportunity, not a reprimand.

6. Communicate in All Directions

Communication shouldn’t just be top-down. Invite feedback, create open channels for suggestions, and genuinely listen to what your people have to say. Healthy upward communication closes gaps before they become conflicts.

7. Overcome Insecurities

Many leaders secretly fear being outshone by younger, more tech-savvy employees. Instead of resisting, embrace the chance to learn from them. Humility earns respect and helps the team innovate faster.

8. Invest in Coaching and Mentorship

True leaders grow other leaders. Provide mentorship, career guidance, and stretch opportunities so employees can develop new skills. Leadership is learned through experience, but guided experience is even more powerful.

9. Eliminate Favoritism

Avoid cliques and office politics. Decisions should be based on facts and fairness, not gossip. Objective, transparent decision-making builds credibility.

10. Recognize Efforts Promptly

Recognition often matters more than rewards. Publicly appreciate employees’ contributions and do so consistently and fairly. A timely “thank you” can be more motivating than a quarterly bonus.

11. Conduct Thoughtful Exit Interviews

When employees leave, treat it as an opportunity to learn. Keep interviews confidential and use the insights to improve management practices and culture.

12. Provide Leadership Development

Train managers to lead, not just supervise. Leadership development programs help shift mindsets from “command and control” to “coach and empower.” This transformation has a direct impact on morale and retention.

13. Adopt Soft Leadership Principles

Today’s workforce, largely millennials and Gen Z, value collaboration over hierarchy. Soft leadership focuses on partnership, mutual respect, and shared purpose, rather than rigid top-down control.

The Bigger Picture: HR’s Role

Mercer’s global research highlights five key priorities for organizations:

  • Build diverse talent pipelines

  • Embrace flexible work models

  • Design compelling career paths

  • Simplify HR processes

  • Redefine the value HR brings

The challenge? Employers and employees often view these priorities differently. Bridging that perception gap is just as important as bridging the relational gap between leaders and staff.

Treat Employees Like Associates, Not Just Staff

When you treat employees like partners, they bring their best selves to work. HR leaders must develop strategies to keep talent engaged, empowered, and prepared for the future.

Organizational success starts with people, always. Build the relationship with your team first, and the results will follow.

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Entrepreneurs

What Makes an Entrepreneurial Leader? Traits of the World’s Best Innovators

Inside the mindset of entrepreneurial leaders who transform risk, passion, and vision into world-changing results.

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entrepreneurial leadership skills and traits
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When you think of Richard Branson (Virgin Group), Bill Gates (Microsoft), Steve Jobs (Apple), Rupert Murdoch (News Corporation), and Ted Turner (CNN), one thing becomes clear: they are not just entrepreneurs, they are entrepreneurial leaders. (more…)

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