Carlos Slims Habits for Business Mastery and Balanced Life
Periodic Table of Habits
Filters & Legend
Impact:
Effort:
Category:
Impact
High
Medium
Low
Effort
High
Medium
Low
Categories
Low Effort
Medium Effort
High Effort
High Impact
No low effort habits
2
Mm
Morning mindfulness practice
5
Cn
Cross-referenced news analysis
11
El
Evening legacy reflection
1
Em
Early morning rising
6
Oe
Open-door executive meetings
8
As
Afternoon strategic reviews
14
Cp
Continuous portfolio reinvestment
15
Ac
Anti-bureaucratic corporate structure
17
Ca
Counter-cyclical acquisition strategy
18
Ps
Prepaid service innovation
19
Iw
Intergenerational wealth education
20
Mm
Monopoly-driven market strategy
Medium Impact
3
Lm
Low-impact morning movement
4
TM
Traditional Mexican breakfast
7
Cb
Cultural business lunches
9
Pt
Philanthropic time blocking
10
Tf
Tech-enabled family time
12
Pk
Pre-sleep knowledge expansion
No high effort habits
Low Impact
13
Ft
Frugal transportation choices
No medium effort habits
16
Cl
Cultural legacy investments
Early morning rising
Impact:
Effort:
#Productivity
Wake up at 5:30 AM to begin the day with quiet reflection and mental preparation. This creates uninterrupted time for strategic thinking before daily demands begin.
Morning mindfulness practice
Impact:
Effort:
#Health
Engage in 20-30 minutes of silent meditation or reflection before starting work. Enhances focus and emotional regulation before high-stakes business decisions.
Low-impact morning movement
Impact:
Effort:
#Health
Perform light stretching or walking instead of intense workouts. Maintains mobility without draining energy needed for cognitive tasks.
Traditional Mexican breakfast
Impact:
Effort:
#Health
Eat simple meals featuring fresh fruits, eggs, and whole grains. Provides sustained energy through slow-release carbohydrates and lean proteins.
Cross-referenced news analysis
Impact:
Effort:
#Growth
Read multiple newspapers with contrasting perspectives during breakfast. Identifies emerging market trends and political risks affecting global investments.
Open-door executive meetings
Impact:
Effort:
#Connections
Host unscripted discussions with employees at all organizational levels. Uncovers ground-level insights that formal reports might miss.
Cultural business lunches
Impact:
Effort:
#Connections
Conduct meetings over traditional Mexican cuisine rather than formal dining. Builds rapport through shared cultural experiences while discussing deals.
Afternoon strategic reviews
Impact:
Effort:
#Growth
Block 2-3 hours for analyzing long-term investment trajectories. Focuses on macroeconomic patterns rather than daily fluctuations.
Philanthropic time blocking
Impact:
Effort:
#Connections
Dedicate late afternoons to foundation work and social projects. Balances profit motives with community development goals.
Tech-enabled family time
Impact:
Effort:
#Connections
Use mobile devices to handle urgent business without leaving home. Maintains presence during family dinners while monitoring critical operations.
Evening legacy reflection
Impact:
Effort:
#Growth
Spend 30 minutes reviewing daily decisions against long-term goals. Ensures alignment between immediate actions and multi-decade objectives.
Pre-sleep knowledge expansion
Impact:
Effort:
#Growth
Read historical biographies and economic texts before bed. Enhances pattern recognition for business decisions through comparative analysis.
Frugal transportation choices
Impact:
Effort:
#Resources
Drive older model vehicles instead of luxury cars or private jets. Reduces unnecessary overhead while maintaining public relatability.
Continuous portfolio reinvestment
Impact:
Effort:
#Resources
Plow 90%+ of profits back into existing enterprises. Compounds growth through vertical integration and market dominance.
Anti-bureaucratic corporate structure
Impact:
Effort:
#Productivity
Maintain flat organizational hierarchies across 200+ companies. Accelerates decision-making and reduces operational inertia.
Cultural legacy investments
Impact:
Effort:
#Resources
Allocate resources to art museums and architectural preservation. Strengthens national identity while securing non-financial assets.
Counter-cyclical acquisition strategy
Impact:
Effort:
#Resources
Purchase distressed assets during economic downturns. Capitalizes on undervalued opportunities when competitors retreat.
Prepaid service innovation
Impact:
Effort:
#Growth
Develop pay-as-you-go models for essential services. Expands market reach to lower-income demographics.
Intergenerational wealth education
Impact:
Effort:
#Connections
Involve family members in business operations from young ages. Prepares successors while maintaining control across generations.
Monopoly-driven market strategy
Impact:
Effort:
#Resources
Dominate entire industry verticals through consolidation. Creates pricing power and economies of scale.
