Elon Musk revealed truth behind 'five-minute rule' that people thought was reason behind his success
A few years ago, there was something of a rumour going around that Elon Musk was a five-minute man.
In the boardroom, rather than the bedroom, that is.
It was reported that the billionaire, 53, divided all of his tasks up into five-minute slots each day, using a method known as 'time blocking'.
This is a time management technique which supposedly helps you stay focused and productive instead of burning out while bouncing from job to job.
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And seen as though Musk is busy running Tesla, SpaceX, Neuralink and his social media platform X, among his other business ventures, it seemed pretty plausible.
He was reportedly religiously spending up to 100 hours a week at Tesla and SpaceX a few years ago, and famously slept on the floor of his car factory during hectic periods. But apparently, the secret to his ridiculous success was living by the five-minute method.
It was claimed that Musk gave himself 300 second slots to hone in on each errand he had to complete, before moving onto the next.
This supposedly helped him stop wasting time - and we all know how much he prioritises productivity in a workforce, after that email he sent to federal workers in February.
So, a host of people started implementing this five-minute rule into their own lives, keen to follow in Musk's footsteps and hopefully reap the same benefits as him.
Author, inventor and entrepreneur Dinis Guarda even seemed to fall for it, as back in 2018, he shared a post on social media promoting the technique.
He wrote: "@ElonMusk’s ‘time blocking’ method: How to manage time effectively even if your schedule is hectic," while sharing a link to an article about Musk's alleged formula which led him to fortune.
However, the South African businessman really rained on Guarda's parade when he responded to the tweet.
It turns out that the time blocking method being touted as Musk's go-to secret to success was actually a load of rubbish.
In fact, Musk made out the method would actually hinder his work, as he explained that he much prefers stewing over something for a while rather than rushing through things.
"I definitely don’t do this 5 minute thing," Musk wrote. "Need to have long uninterrupted times to think. Can’t be creative otherwise."
Although a load of people thought Musk was some kind of time management guru, turns out, he's actually not that interested in it.
In 2017, he told Inc Magazine: "I’ve actually not read any books on time management."
Granted, that might have changed in the last eight years, especially now he's also got the responsibility of leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) on his plate too.
Musk did offer a pointer to those looking to be more productive in the 2017 interview, though.
"I think that’s the single best piece of advice: constantly think about how you could be doing things better and questioning yourself," he said.
So there you have it folks - sod the five-minute thing.
Olivia Burke