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Self-Discovery
Winning the Week Before It Starts
The 5-minute habit that changed everything
Some lessons are short, simple, and powerful enough to last a lifetime. A self-made multimillionaire once gave me advice that took less time than a coffee break and drastically enhanced my productivity.
The lesson
Early in my career, I worked for a man who had dropped out of school in the fourth grade and went on to build a business empire. While I’ve known several college dropouts who found success, he was one of the rare few who never even finished elementary school and still reached extraordinary heights.
His early life was tough, but he knew how to work hard and never let his lack of formal education hinder him. By the time he hired me to run one of his companies, he owned a sprawling estate with an airfield and several airplanes. Despite his limited schooling, he earned a pilot’s license. He regularly flew to visit his businesses, which were scattered across two states. To call him successful barely does justice to what he accomplished.
His greatest strength? He knew how to get things done.
His advice to me came in a single sentence and is something I still follow to this day:
“Spend 5 or 10 minutes each…