5 Things Productive People Do Differently

How do some of the world?s greatest talents manage their time? Forbes gleaned these tips from several masters of the art of business.

They don?t use to-do lists. Instead, highly productive people schedule tasks on their calendar?and they stick to that calendar down to the minute.

They carry a notebook. Richard Branson of Virgin fame doesn?t go anywhere without a notebook, and neither did Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis. Carrying a notebook enables you to write down that million-dollar idea whenever the idea presents itself?and before you have a chance to forget.

They focus on minutes, not hours. As Olympic gymnast Shannon Miller once told Forbes author Kevin Kruse, ?To this day, I keep a schedule that is almost minute by minute.? Successful people know the value of their time and hold themselves accountable for time spent.

They concentrate on just one thing at a time. Highly successful people like Tom Ziglar, CEO of Ziglar Inc., invest the first hour or two of their day working on their No. 1 business priority.

They make it home for dinner. Highly successful people know there will always be reasons to stay longer at work, but they make time for the things they value outside of work, too, from family to friends to exercise to favorite hobbies.

?Adapted from ?15 Surprising Things Productive People Do Differently? by Kevin Kruse, Forbes.com, Jan. 20, 2016.