Imagine, for a moment, that Elon Musk himself walked into your home – not to pitch you on a Tesla, not to talk about colonizing Mars – but to conduct a full-blown audit of your life. And not just your finances – but your time, your work ethic, your energy usage … all of it. Imagine that he would be tasked with analyzing your bank statements, your daily routine, the way you manage your household, and your personal and professional work habits. How do you think it would go?
From launching Tesla and SpaceX to co-founding PayPal, which revolutionized online payments, Elon Musk has built a legacy of disrupting industries and redefining the “norm” in technology, space exploration, and transportation. He didn’t stop there. He took over Twitter (now X) to reshape digital communication, he co-founded ChatGPT, a staple in consumer AI usage today, launched Neuralink to bridge the gap between AI and the human brain, and developed The Boring Company to rethink urban transportation. Whether you admire him or question his methods, there’s no denying he’s a relentless force of creativity and productivity.
Then there is the average U.S. consumer … Most people run their lives like a company on the brink of bankruptcy. The money leaks are everywhere. Streaming services they don’t use, memberships they don’t even remember signing up for, and that $9.99-a-month subscription that started as a free trial that is now just quietly stealing your money every month. Then there’s the daily Starbucks. Musk would do the math in his head faster than your calculator app could load and tell you that, yes, your daily $7 latte habit actually costs you over $2,500 a year. And while that alone won’t make or break your financial future, it’s a symptom of a bigger problem – that most people are spending money mindlessly.
It wouldn’t stop at your finances. He would check your phone’s screen time and raise an eyebrow when he sees you’ve burned four hours scrolling through TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram – convincing yourself that watching “motivational content” counts as self-improvement or research. Then there’s Netflix – clocking in at two hours spent binge-watching, half of which was just deciding what to watch. The list goes on and on.
Musk wouldn’t just call it out – he would demand a fix. Cut out the fluff. Eliminate the waste. He would suggest that you set up a budgeting tool to track where your money. You can use a simple rule – if you haven’t actively thought about or used a subscription in the last 30 days – cancel it immediately. When it comes to time management, Musk would insist on his proven method of task-batching and time-blocking. He would demand that you schedule deep work like you schedule meetings and make critical tasks non-negotiable.
But the real wake-up call would come when he looks at your work ethic. Because here’s the thing – most people believe they’re working hard. They’re busy. But being busy is not the same as being productive. Musk would likely ask, “What have you built? What have you created? Where’s the output?” Whether you have been talking about starting a business, cleaning your office, or getting in shape for the past year, he would call you out on it. His likely advice – take immediate action … stop overanalyzing … stop waiting for “the perfect time,” and just make your first move.
Granted, Musk may be an unmarried, self-admittedly unhappy, restless workaholic whose relentless drive defies human logic – so his lifestyle isn’t exactly a blueprint for everyone. But if there’s one thing to take away from his success, it is that relentless improvement and bold action can push us all to be just a little better than we were yesterday.
Would you rather have Elon Musk as a personal coach or your spouse? Please let me know if you have a good “Would you rather” question, and we will highlight your submission.
Shmuel Shayowitz (NMLS#19871) is a highly regarded Real Estate & Finance Executive, Writer, Speaker, Coach, and Advisor. He is President and Chief Lending Officer of Approved Funding, a privately held national mortgage banker and direct lender. Shmuel has over twenty years of industry experience, holding numerous licenses and accreditations, including certified mortgage underwriter, licensed real estate agent, residential review appraiser, and accredited investor, to name a few. Shmuel has successfully navigated through many changing markets and business landscapes, making his market insights and experience well-coveted within the real estate industry. He can be reached via email at [email protected].
