Elon Musk is almost everywhere. One day it’s SpaceX launching rockets, the next day it’s Tesla that’s setting other business records. And he has not an only business background. He has also being mixed into politics with the president of the United States, Donald Trump, making his name ever-present in the news. But the public question still remains: “What is the source of all this success?” Which habit or, rather, mindset sets this individual so far apart from the average individual?
His former wife, Justine Musk, has an answer and it is deceptively simple. In a TEDx talk, Justine explained that his ability to “Say No” is one of the strongest muscles Elon has. It is not as easy as it sounds, but it is an enormous act of discipline. That one word—repeated over and over—has helped him protect his time, his focus, and his energy.
Of course, he is not the only one. Steve Jobs built Apple on the same principle. He is in the right because in most cases them (and the world) the people need to work more on saying No than Yes. Elon Musk and Steve Jobs’ stories together demonstrate that success comes with ambition, but also with the right habits to help one stay focused when the odds are stacked against them.
Justine Musk and why “No” matters so much
Justine Musk, who was married to Elon until 2008, shared that his endless refusals weren’t about arrogance—they were about focus. Confirmed with other facts, every time he said no to something small, he was really saying yes to something bigger, which was building Tesla and growing SpaceX, and even at the time, vision when exhaustion was prominent.
Exhibited with precision, minimazing distraction creates un environment for deep analytical and intellectual capabilities. It is also easy to understand how that superpower discipline became one his of his many. Without that, how else is he expected to ever balance designing rockets, a car company, and a social site, Twitter, which is now X. It also immensely reminds one that success does not always have to be something grand.
It could also be the dull, tedious habits that one customarily adopts, such as what one opts to ignore, which are the numerous building blocks to the ultimate victory.
Steve Jobs and the art of focus
Elon Musk isn’t the only one who holds this belief. Steve Jobs, the co founder of Apple, was one of the most focused people in the world.
One of the famous sayings attributed to him is: “Be quick to say no and slow to say yes.” Jobs advocated for the idea that every yes comes at a cost. Everything that is added to a project, every new feature, and every added distraction has a cost that is taken away from the core. For that reason, Apple was famous for simplicity: a smaller number of products, but ones that reshaped entire industries.
Musk operates in the same manner. He silences the noise, avoids distractions, and tackles the near impossible. Both of them tell us that discipline is not doing more, but choosing the right things and putting in the proper effort.
Time to get inspired by the biggest minds
Most of us do not have the ability to steer a Tesla or take a SpaceX rocket into orbit, but the lesson is valid regardless.
Whether it is work, health, or one’s personal aspirations, success is a derivative of the habits that we observe daily. Saying no to distractions, unnecessary commitments, and time wasters frees one to focus on what is important. That requires a commendable level of discipline, but it is what manifests unexpected outcomes to what was once considered impossible.