
<p>By <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/elizabeth-gravier/">Elizabeth Gravier</a></p>



<p>Richard Branson is used to shooting for the stars.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Last week,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/07/09/richard-branson-space-unit-virgin-galactic-plans-to-go-public-wsj.html" class="">Virgin Galactic</a>&nbsp;announced its plans to become the first publicly-traded space tourism company. It’s a bold feat, and one that Branson credits to dreaming big – and out loud.</p>



<p>“One of my most enduring (and hopefully endearing!) habits is talking about plans that are yet to come to fruition,” Branson writes in&nbsp;a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.virgin.com/richard-branson/talking-ahead-yourself" class="">recent blog post</a>. “Whenever I come up with an exciting new idea or hear a thrilling new proposal, I want to tell the world about it straight away.”</p>



<p>He calls this habit “talking ahead of yourself.”</p>



<p>“Far from being a problem, talking ahead of yourself can actually be very useful,” he writes. “By setting yourself future goals that many people deem unrealistic, you actually bring them closer to reality.”</p>



<p>And Branson’s optimism has paid off. The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/billionaires/profiles/richard-c-branson/" class="">self-made billionaire</a>&nbsp;has made a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/profile/richard-branson/#2bf6c8286ff5" class="">fortune</a>&nbsp;creating separate ventures all under the Virgin brandname, including Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Galactic,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2017/02/06/richard-branson-wept-when-he-sold-virgin-records-for-a-billion-dollars.html" class="">Virgin Records</a>(which he sold for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2017/02/06/richard-branson-wept-when-he-sold-virgin-records-for-a-billion-dollars.html" class="">$1 billion in 1992</a>) and most recently&nbsp;<a href="https://www.virginvoyages.com/" class="">Virgin Voyages</a>, a cruise business launching in 2020.</p>



<p>He writes that the practice of talking about future ideas out loud incentivizes Virgin employees to reach goals, but it also turns restless energy and ideas into real action. “If you start planning ahead for when you do have the exciting new line, the growing profits and the new staff, you’ll be better prepared for success.”</p>



<p>Branson takes inspiration wherever he can find it, but he credits April Fool’s pranks – an annual tradition at Virgin – as a surprising source of ideas. As a prank, he once wrote about new&nbsp;<a href="https://www.virgin.com/richard-branson/virgin-launches-glass-bottomed-plane" class="">glass-bottomed Virgin Atlantic planes</a>, and the idea was so popular that he is now considering installing giant windows in the roof of the planes for stargazing (a decision made after realizing the luggage at the bottom of the plane would block any type of view through a glass surface.)</p>



<p>“Sometimes the most far-fetched schemes are the most plausible,” Branson writes. “Often sensible plans go out of the window. You have to be ready for anything. If you talk ahead of yourself, your team will be ready for it too. You’ve got to have a dream before you can go about making it come true.”</p>



<p><em>This article first appeared on CNBC </em><a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/07/15/why-richard-branson-talks-about-his-big-goals-publicly.html?forYou=true"><em>https://www.cnbc.com/2019/07/15/why-richard-branson-talks-about-his-big-goals-publicly.html?forYou=true</em></a><em> and is republished with its permission.</em></p>


Why billionaire Richard Branson talks about his goals before he has any idea how to accomplish them


<p>By <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/kathleen-elkins/">Kathleen Elkins</a></p>



<p>Between running a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/profile/richard-branson/#4d22de8f6ff5" class="">multi-billion dollar empire</a>, attempting to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2018/12/13/richard-branson-hopes-to-be-in-space-next-year-with-virgin-galactic.html" class="">head to space</a>&nbsp;and updating his blog multiple times per day, Virgin Group founder, Richard Branson, gets a lot done.</p>



<p>His top productivity trick is a simple habit that has nothing to do with making to-do lists, checking email or turning off notifications: “The only reason I’m able to do all the things I do and to keep on top of a busy schedule without getting too stressed is because I stay fit,”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.virgin.com/importance-being-healthy" class="">the billionaire entrepreneur writes on his blog</a>.</p>



<p>Making time for exercise, he says, <a class="" href="https://www.cnbc.com/2016/11/10/richard-branson-says-this-daily-habit-doubles-his-productivity.html">doubles his productivity</a>.</p>



<p>“If people are feeling their best, they will be their most productive selves at work,” writes Branson. Plus, there are other benefits: “I find exercise the most natural and effective mood booster there is.”</p>



<p>Science backs him up: Studies show that exercise can help you out professionally by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/press_releases/regular-exercise-releases-brain-chemicals-key-for-memory-concentration-and-mental-sharpness" class="">improving memory and mental sharpness</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.princeton.edu/news/2013/07/03/exercise-reorganizes-brain-be-more-resilient-stress?section=topstories" class="">reducing stress</a>&nbsp;and even&nbsp;<a href="https://news.stanford.edu/2014/04/24/walking-vs-sitting-042414/" class="">promoting creativity</a>.</p>



<p>Branson, who prefers playing tennis, kite-surfing and lifting weights, dedicates at least an hour a day to working out. “Many people say they don’t have the time for exercise, and you’re right, you don’t have the time unless you make the time,” he says. Make it a priority, he encourages, because “there is nothing more important than looking after yourself.”</p>



<p>He’s not the only <a class="" href="https://www.cnbc.com/2016/11/29/7-habits-of-highly-successful-people-from-a-man-who-spent-5-years-studying-them.html">highly successful individual who makes time for exercise</a>.</p>



<p>“Staying in shape is very important,” Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg said in a&nbsp;<a href="http://time.com/3942073/mark-zuckerberg-arnold-schwarzenegger/" class="">Q&amp;A</a>&nbsp;on his social media site. “Doing anything well requires energy, and you just have a lot more energy when you’re fit.”</p>



<p>Oprah Winfrey, Mark Cuban and Alexa von Tobel are among other top business leaders who&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/preview/104202389" class="">prioritize fitness</a>.</p>



<p>To make it a consistent habit, find easy ways to fold exercise into your routine, says Branson: “Go for a walk around the park with a friend instead of going to the pub, find the health club closest to your house, join a team sport. &#8230; There are so many options — try a few and see what sticks.”</p>



<p><em>This article first appeared on CNBC </em><a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/06/26/richard-bransons-top-productivity-trick.html"><em>https://www.cnbc.com/2019/06/26/richard-bransons-top-productivity-trick.html</em></a><em> and is republished with its permission.</em></p>


Billionaire Richard Branson’s top productivity trick is a simple habit that has nothing to do with email or to-do lists

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<p>Billionaire Richard Branson&#8217;s definition of success <a href="http://www.cnbc.com/2016/08/04/billionaire-richard-bransons-definition-of-success-has-nothing-to-do-with-money.html" target="_blank">has nothing to do with money</a>.</p>
<p>&#8220;In my opinion, true success should be measured by how happy you are,&#8221; the entrepreneur <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/my-metric-success-happiness-richard-branson?trk=mp-reader-card" target="_blank" class="inline_asset">writes on LinkedIn</a>.</p>
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<p>Happiness isn&#8217;t just a metric to measure his level of success — it&#8217;s also the key to it, according to Branson: &#8220;Most people would assume my business success, and the wealth that comes with it, have brought me happiness. But I know I am successful, wealthy and connected because I am happy.&#8221;</p>
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<p>The Virgin Group founder asked a handful of his employees to share their &#8220;happiness mantras,&#8221; which he then <a href="https://www.virgin.com/richard-branson/whats-your-happy-mantra" target="_blank" title="https://www.virgin.com/richard-branson/whats-your-happy-mantra" class="inline_asset">highlighted on his blog</a>. Here are the five that Branson plans on adopting in 2017, plus his own personal mantra for happiness.</p>
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<p>1. &#8220;Throw kindness around like confetti.&#8221;</p>
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<div class="attribution">2. &#8220;Happiness has a true sense of simplicity. Its root is not from what you own, but from what drives your soul and inspires your sense of belonging.&#8221;</div>
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<div class="attribution">3. &#8220;One can always find a way to adapt to whatever life throws at you: Just enjoy the moment.&#8221; </div>
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<div class="attribution">4. &#8220;We will make it work.&#8221;</div>
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<div class="attribution">5. &#8220;The happiness of your life depends on the quality of your thoughts.&#8221;</div>
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<div class="attribution">And the billionaire chose this one: &#8220;The way I see it, there&#8217;s a reason we&#8217;re called human beings and not human doings.&#8221;</div>
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<p>&#8220;As human beings we have the ability to think, move and communicate in a heightened way. We can cooperate, understand, reconcile and love. &#8230; So in 2017, don&#8217;t forget the to-do list, but remember to write a to-be list too.&#8221;﻿</p>
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Why billionaire Richard Branson talks about his goals before he has any idea how to accomplish them

Billionaire Richard Branson’s top productivity trick is a simple habit that has nothing to do with email or to-do lists

Billionaire Richard Branson's six mantras to follow in 2017

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Why billionaire Richard Branson talks about his goals before he has any idea how to accomplish them

Billionaire Richard Branson’s top productivity trick is a simple habit that has nothing to do with email or to-do lists

Billionaire Richard Branson's six mantras to follow in 2017

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