What you can learn from Mark Cuban’s routine

Mark Cuban is a pretty well-known guy. Maybe you know him from his social media feuds with certain presidents, or his courtside theatrics at Dallas Mavericks games, or his TV appearances as an investor on Shark Tank. The billionaire is a busy man—but also a successful one, so what can we learn from his daily routine?

Start early.

Just thinking about one is painful to many of the night owls out there, but Cuban credits his early work as one of the key elements of his success. Getting up and starting to work (like checking emails or messages) may seem like a drastic start, but surveys have shown that many people are sharpest when they first wake up.

Come up with a mantra.

Positive thinking can be very effective, so come up with some personal mantras that work with your goals. According to Cuban, “Work like there is someone working 24 hours a day to take it all away from you” keeps him going. What motivates you? How can you turn that into a one-liner?

Keep up the pace throughout the day.

Even when there’s downtime, Cuban keeps checking emails to stay informed. Some downtime is usually key to decompressing, but if you find yourself with periods that aren't so busy during the work day, doing quick checks of email can help you stay focused.

Don’t get stuck in meetings.

Cuban feels like most meetings are a “waste of time.” For the rest of us, meetings are often a necessary evil if we want to get our work done, but you can apply Cuban’s philosophy to your own career by evaluating whether sit-down meetings are truly necessary, or if you can get the work done another way (like brief face-to-face chats, or a phone call/email).

Make time for personal priorities.

As a parent, Cuban finds himself with a dilemma familiar to many: having professional obligations pull one way, family obligations another. It’s a matter of scheduling the highest-priority family moments into the day. It is also a matter of balance: “I can’t make all their games, but I make most,” he says.

Take time for self care.

Cuban’s not only basketball team owner, but also an unofficial player, making time for basketball games and other workouts as part of the daily fitness routine. Whatever your fitness or self care routine is (yoga, meditation, gym time, walking the dog, etc.), make sure you carve out some time in your day for it. Pushing too hard at work and not having an outlet can lead to major work stress.

Get enough sleep.

Speaking of work stress, not getting enough sleep can be a major contributor. Cuban gets six to seven hours a night. The ideal can vary by person, but whatever your magic number is for peak productivity and performance during the day, make sure you’re getting that sleep as much as you can. We may not all be billionaire investors, but Mark Cuban’s daily routines show us that with a little extra focus, scheduling, and consistency, we can try living like one.