Live your life the Virgin way!

Live your life the Virgin way!

Here are the top ten points by Richard Branson that will inspire you to live your life the Virgin way:

1. FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS AND JUST DO IT
You will live a much better life if you ‘just do it’ and pursue your passions. People who have the courage to spend their time working on things they love are usually the ones enjoying life the most. They are also the ones who dared to take a risk and chase their dreams.

2. MAKE A POSITIVE DIFFERENCE AND DO SOME GOOD
If you aren’t making a positive difference to other people’s lives, then you shouldn’t be in business. Companies have a responsibility to make a difference in the world, for their staff, their customers – everyone. The amazing part is that doing good is also good for business, so what are you waiting for?

3. BELIEVE IN YOUR IDEAS AND BE THE BEST
A passionate belief in your business and personal objectives can make all the difference between success and failure. If you aren’t proud of what you’re doing, why should anybody else be? Don’t get suckered into blindly pursuing profits and growth. Stay focused on being the best at everything you do and, if you want it to, the rest will follow.

4. HAVE FUN AND LOOK AFTER YOUR TEAM
Fun is one of the most important – and underrated – ingredients in any successful venture. If you’re not having fun, then it’s probably time to call it quits and try something else. If your team members are engaged, having fun and genuinely care about other people, they will enjoy their work more and do a better job – it’s really that simple. Find people who look for the best in others, lavish more praise than criticism, and love what they do.

5. DON’T GIVE UP
On every adventure I have undertaken – whether setting up a business, flying around the world in a balloon or racing across oceans in a boat – there have been moments when the easy thing to do would have been to throw in the towel and walk away. By simply sticking with it, brushing yourself down and trying again, you’ll be amazed what you can achieve.

6. LISTEN, TAKE LOTS OF NOTES AND KEEP SETTING NEW CHALLENGES
Listen more and talk less. Take notes – lots of notes. If you don’t write down your own (and others’) spontaneous ideas, they can be gone in the blink of an eye. Make lists to keep track of your goals. You’ll be amazed at the challenges a listening culture can overcome.

7. DELEGATE AND SPEND MORE TIME WITH YOUR FAMILY
The art of delegation is one of the key skills any entrepreneur must master. ‘Hire your weaknesses’ – if you find people who can take on tasks you aren’t good at, it frees you up to plan for the future. It also gives you time to spend with your family, which is really the most important thing of all. Oh yes, and don’t forget to garner your family’s input on the occasional big idea – like Virgin condoms, for instance!

8. TURN OFF THAT LAPTOP AND IPHONE AND GET YOUR DERRIÈRE OUT THERE
Rather than sitting in front of a screen all your life, try switching it all off on a regular basis and going out into the world. Start with your own backyard and then expand your field of vision. ‘Life isn’t a dress rehearsal’. With so many fascinating people to meet, exciting adventures to embark upon and rewarding challenges to undertake, there’s no time to lose.

9. COMMUNICATE, COLLABORATE AND COMMUNICATE SOME MORE
Keep it simple, stupid, and above all else keep it coming. Mushrooms might grow when they are kept in the dark and fed a diet of dung but it doesn’t work with people. Remember Steve Jobs and the Pixar piazza: build open work environments that invite your people to intermingle and share their visions.

10. DO WHAT YOU LOVE AND HAVE A COUCH IN THE KITCHEN
As long as you are surrounded by the people you love and doing what you love, it really doesn’t matter where you are. When we are on Necker we tend to spend most of our time in the kitchen. Add in a bedroom and a partner that you love, and you really don’t need too much more.