Venus Williams is featured in Fast Company’s December/January “132 Secrets of the Most Productive People” issue, online now and on newsstands next week. She tells Fast Company, “The first thing I do in the morning is think about my game. It’s an addiction, but I always think about how to get better. Everything is geared toward that. Growing up in my house, we weren’t allowed to waste time. We always had to be productive. We weren’t supposed to be watching anything that wasn’t educational. Even if we got to watch a cartoon, my dad would ask, “What did you learn?'”
Williams reveals her latest goal “to make 365 sketches in 365 days, whether it’s drawings for my fashion line or just to think about spaces [for her interior design work].
She also gives an exclusive, sneak-peek into her daily routine:
Time she wakes up: “9 a.m. is late, but anything before 9 is torture.”
Productivity tools: “Having a team helps, but I keep it simple. I use my notepads. I have a U.S. Olympic notepad, one for tennis, and one for my business. I like to jot down questions to ask in meetings later.”
Commuting routine: “I catch up on sleep.”
Productivity philosophy: “If you’re not first, you’re last. Oh wait, no, that’s Talladega Nights. One thing Serena and I always say is, ‘If you don’t do it, someone else will.”
Best habit: “I’m always prepared, usually over prepared. It’s the only thing I know.”
Worst habit: “Not returning emails quickly. My in-box is over flowing and it’s the scariest place on earth.”
Nightly routine: “If I’m at home, I turn on the T.V. That’s a luxury—to be at home in my own bed with the TV on.”
Time she goest to bed: “10:30 or 11:00 p.m. at the latest if I have a match the next day.”
Williams was also quite productive on the tennis court in 2017, reaching the singles finals at the Australian Open, Wimbledon and year-end WTA Tour finals at the age of 37, to the delight of some NetBetSport customers.
