Top Habits of Geniuses That Can Improve Your Productivity

Brilliance and eccentricity often go hand-in-hand. Some of the smartest, most influential people of past and present credit a host of quirky habits to their success. These behaviors may seem a little strange, but they’re clearly effective.

If you’re in a bit of a productivity rut, consider taking on a few of these practices. You might be pleasantly surprised at the impact a few seemingly bizarre behaviors can have on your overall efficiency.

Boost Productivity by Adopting These 4 Habits of Famous Geniuses

Change the way you work for the better by incorporating these somewhat unconventional activities into your day:

Take Cold Showers

Benjamin Franklin went for a swim in London’s chilly Thames River every day and Theodore Roosevelt went skinny-dipping in the icy Potomac River in Washington D.C. each winter. This practice actually dates back centuries as a test of physical and mental endurance.

You don’t have to go to such drastic measures to achieve this, but taking a cold shower or going for a dip in the pool on a brisk day will cause your blood to flow to your core, sending fresh blood to your brain and vital organs.

Don’t Immediately Season Your Food

Part of Thomas Edison’s challenging interview process for employees was administering “The Salt Test.” He would give contenders a bowl of soup and anyone who added salt without tasting it first would automatically be disqualified. Edison concluded that salting before tasting was a sign the person made decisions based on unfounded assumptions.

So, if you automatically season your food before taking a bite, consider tasting it first.

Take Time to Develop Your Ideas

J.K. Rowling came up with the Harry Potter series while riding on a train. She didn’t have a pen with her, so she simply let her mind wander for the duration of the journey, allowing time for her ideas to fully develop — entering a stage of thought known as incubation.

Follow Rowling’s lead on this by taking your time to fully flesh out new ideas, rather than rushing to finalize them before they’ve had the chance to come to fruition.

Make Time to Unplug

Dr. Yoshiko Nakamatsu — who patented more than 3,300 inventions, including the floppy disk — found solace in his “calm room”, a bathroom tiled in 24-karat gold.

“The gold blocks out radio waves and television signals that are harmful to the imagination,” he said.

Don’t get discouraged if you can’t build a 24-karat gold room. You can achieve the same calming effect by unplugging your phone, laptop, tablet, and television to recharge your mind.

If you need more time in your day to focus on running your business, partner with ECS. Our staffing management company has more than 20 years of experience helping staffing firms provide temporary employees to their clients and assisting employers in streamlining their contract workers.

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