By: John S. Morlu II, CPA
Let’s face it—Elon Musk is not your average millionaire. He’s the kind of guy who builds flamethrowers for fun, names his child after a WiFi password, and launches convertibles into space just to flex. The man’s daily planner probably looks like:
7 AM – Make coffee
7:05 AM – Revolutionize industry
7:30 AM – Tweet weird stuff
So, when Elon Musk talks about success, people listen—right after double-checking he’s not trolling. And while everyone wants his results, not everyone wants to do what it takes… like cutting off the comfy, brain-numbing habits most of us secretly love.
So here it is. The Elon Musk “Nope List”:
Six habits to ditch if you ever want to make history, build rockets, or even just stay awake during Zoom calls.
1. Caring Too Much About What People Think (A.K.A. “The Comment Section Curse”)
If your first question before doing something is, “But what if people don’t like it?”, congratulations—you’re not Elon Musk.
Musk says criticism is gold—but only if it’s useful. Haters, trolls, and “internet life coaches” don’t count. He doesn’t care if you don’t like his tweets. Or his hair. Or the fact that he’s trying to colonize Mars before fixing potholes on Earth.
True Musk Quote: “A well-thought-out critique of whatever you’re doing is as valuable as gold.”
Translation: Ignore Karen in the comments who says you’re “trying too hard.” She still prints memes and doesn’t know what a hyperlink is.
Fun Fact: People mocked the first Tesla Roadster for being “too quiet” and “too electric.” Now those same people get upset if their car doesn’t drive itself to Taco Bell.
Bottom Line: Take feedback that helps. Flush the rest like expired kale.
2. Procrastinating on Decisions (A.K.A. The Forever Maybe)
If you need three weeks, four surveys, two crystals, and a TED Talk to decide between oat milk and almond milk—you’ve already lost.
Musk makes decisions faster than most of us choose a Netflix show. He doesn’t aim for perfect. He aims for done, launched, and better next time.
“If something is important enough, even if the odds are against you, you should still do it.”
Translation: Do it scared. Do it confused. Just don’t sit there planning your “perfect moment” until you’re 90 and your dreams need dentures.
Fun Fact: The Tesla Cybertruck design was finalized after a literal sledgehammer test. Meanwhile, you’re still debating fonts for your vision board.
3. Obsessing Over Past Failures (a.k.a. “Regretflix”)
You can’t drive forward while staring in the rearview mirror… unless your goal is a dramatic explosion.
Musk’s career is a museum of glorious failures:
- His rockets exploded (a lot)
- Tesla nearly went bankrupt
- Twitter is now… whatever X is
And yet, he bounces back faster than your screen time when TikTok reopens.
Musk Philosophy: Fail fast, learn faster, move on before the popcorn burns.
Fun Fact: SpaceX failed three rocket launches before finally sticking the landing. And not once did Musk post a crying selfie with the caption: “Taking time to heal 💔🌙 #SelfCare”
4. Multitasking Like a Fried Octopus
Elon runs Tesla, SpaceX, Neuralink, and probably a secret underground robot fight club—but even he says multitasking is a scam.
You think you’re being productive juggling 7 browser tabs, Spotify, texting your friend, and writing an essay?
Your brain disagrees. You’re basically giving it a full-blown identity crisis.
Neuroscience Says: Multitasking drops your IQ worse than sleep deprivation.
Elon Says: Focus like a laser, not a disco ball.
Pro Tip: One task. One goal. No distractions. Unless the distraction is a meteorite, it can wait.
5. Avoiding Discomfort (a.k.a. The Couch Potato Lifestyle Plan)
Growth doesn’t happen in fuzzy socks.
Elon didn’t become a billionaire because he “wanted to keep things light and manageable.” He dove headfirst into stressful chaos with a smile and a spreadsheet.
Real Talk:
- He slept on factory floors
- Invested all his money in Tesla and SpaceX
- Risked everything… including Twitter’s reputation, his hairline, and his sanity
Fun Fact: Musk once made exploding rockets look like part of the plan. Meanwhile, you skipped your gym session because it was “cloudy.”
The Truth: Comfort zones are nice. But nothing grows there except belly lint and excuses.
6. Spending 13 Hours a Day Online (a.k.a. Doomscrolling University)
Yes, we know Elon tweets like it’s an Olympic sport. But even he says: too much screen time? Bad idea.
Mindless scrolling is like eating chips for your brain: addictive, salty, and leaves you feeling kinda gross.
“Don’t get distracted by stuff that doesn’t make things better.”
Translation: Unless you’re learning, building, or starting a global tech company—maybe log off TikTok for an hour and do something that doesn’t involve dance filters.
Fun Fact: The average person taps their phone 2,617 times a day. That’s not a joke. That’s a digital finger workout. And it builds nothing.
Final Thoughts from the Guy Who Built a Rocket Company Because He Was Bored
Success isn’t just about learning new things.
It’s about unlearning bad habits that clog your brain like expired cheese in a vending machine.
Let’s summarize Elon Musk’s Big Fat “Don’t” List:
| ❌ Bad Habit | 🧠 Better Option |
| Caring too much what others think | Take smart feedback, ignore trolls |
| Decision delay (a.k.a. Life Buffering) | Choose fast, improve later |
| Living in the past | Fail fast, move forward faster |
| Multitasking everything | Focus like a laser, not a flashlight |
| Avoiding discomfort | Hug the hard stuff—it makes you grow |
| Scrolling forever | Log off. Build something weird instead |
Mic Drop Moment:
If you want to fly high, you’ve gotta cut the sandbags. Elon’s not superhuman—he’s just super focused, super fast, and super allergic to excuses.
So next time you’re tempted to overthink, over-scroll, or under-try—just ask yourself:
“What would Elon delete today?”
About the Author
John is an entrepreneur, strategist, and founder of JS Morlu, LLC, a Virginia based CPA firm with multiple software ventures including www.FinovatePro.com, www.Recksoft.com and www.Fixaars.com . With operations spanning multiple countries, John is on a mission to build global infrastructure that empowers small businesses, entrepreneurs, and professionals to thrive in an increasingly competitive world. He believes in hard truths, smart execution, and the relentless pursuit of excellence. When he’s not writing or building, he’s challenging someone to a productivity contest—or inventing software that automates it.
