Four mantras to channel your inner Elon Musk

Watching the Tesla and SpaceX CEO change the future of electric cars and space travel begs the question — can you channel your inner Elon Musk? Not so easy according to MIT-trained Economist Luis Romero. In Forbes, Romero writes that Musk is nothing short of "a man with revolutionary ideas and the power to turn them into reality. He possesses an otherworldly ambition, fierce commitment and the determination to defy the status quo." 

 

Above: Elon Musk (Instagram: comtosai)

That said, Romero explains, "this is not to say that Musk is flawless. He has certainly had to deal with major fails along his career. Yet he is the kind of entrepreneur that is invested in changing history, not just making money." So are there any pointers to learn from the real-life Iron Man? Romero discusses four mantras that can help you to channel your inner Elon Musk.

1. Be obsessive 

Romero says, "It isn’t just passion; it’s beyond that. I’d call it passionate obsession. [Elon Musk] is not one of those individuals who wishes to experience life as is. He wants to engineer a life that’s based on what isn’t yet. His vision is his oxygen; his work is his workout. And in order to make his vision a reality, he spends hours perfecting the tiniest of details and sets for himself and his team the highest of expectations."

2. Work like hell

Musk recently tweeted, "Car biz is hell… so I’m back to sleeping at [Tesla's] factory" in order to speed up Model 3 production. Romero explains that Musk "is not among those leaders who expect their staff to just get things done and move on. He demands excellence. He himself works 100 hours per week thanks to what he calls 'batching' and... his focus, discipline and style are powerful antidotes against the mediocrity and complacency that creep up after routine settles in."

Above: History is the best teacher, so school yourself on Elon Musk with this handy 3-minute animated video of his life story (Youtube: ArcadeCloud)

3. Don't let failure defeat you

It hasn't been easy for Elon Musk. He has "several failed attempts to his name. Not every idea that he’s pursued has been an instant success. The first three launches at SpaceX were failures, and the Tesla Roadster took three years to become commercially viable even after [many stumbles]... But did that make him stop? Of course, not."

4. Prove the bullies and trolls wrong

Even with haters trolling Tesla and SpaceX at every turn, Musk is determined to have the last laugh. Early on, "as a young boy, Musk faced bullying which isolated him from the outer world. He turned into a bookworm, which later... made him self-sufficient to start up his own businesses. Elon Musk was able to turn his experience being bullied into the fuel of an actual rocket-man, himself."

===

Source: Forbes