The one overpowering fact I have witnessed first hand in my life is the predominance of early rises among successful people. Having worked in the financial markets and as an executive producer in television, and now as an executive behavioural change expert, I have seen my fair share of incredibly successful people and had the opportunity to witness how they operate their personal and professional time management strategies.
Successful people wake up and get up early , while everyone around them is sleeping. These people are organising, formulating, preparing and exercising. They are up and about. Now we are not just talking about high-ranking management figures at large corporations who have to catch a plane, we are also talking about professional athletes, celebrities, and even small business owners who have made a conscious choice to get a head start on every day.
1. Successful people wake up early so that they can work out or exercise. It’s not just naut being being healthier, research has shown that a good workout or exercise in the morning is a great way to prepare your body for the day and get a handle on your stress later in the day.
2. Successful people wake up early so that they can focus on personal projects. Some of the most successful CEOs in the corporate world dedicate their early mornings to personal projects that they don’t have time for during the day. These projects simply make them happy, which in turn frees up their enthusiasm for the focus on the essential work that’s ahead of them during the day.
3. Successful people wake up early so that they can spend more time with their family. The morning has become the new time for catching up with your significant other or spending time with your children before you get on with your day.
4. Successful people wake up early so that they can get up to date with world events that a relevant to them . “You can’t change the world if you don’t know what’s going on in it first. This is a great time to read reports, get a handle on current events and accumulate knowledge that is relevant to your interests and field of work. When I wake up early I read reports and the latest studies on topics that I am working on or am interested in. I prepare my presentations, I update my blog, all so that I can be well prepared for the day ahead. When I worked in the financial markets I would read all the international market reports, and get a handle on what the day held in store for me and my clients.
5. Successful people wake up early so that they can plan for their day ahead. When you get up early, you can have some time to plan out your whole day and give your self an accurate schedule for the week. You can set deadlines and timeframes. When I was working in TV I would spend the morning reading through scripts, watching cuts and checking through call sheets. It was the most perfect time for me because while the rest of the world was sleeping I was getting organised and prepared. Studies show that people who take some time to plan in advance, are more likely to have a more productive and efficient day. This is something that I teach my little boy when he is preparing for the activities he has at school and after school. I am setting up or wiring his brain for organisation and therefore success.
6. Successful people wake up early so that they can work on additional projects or passions. If you’re a morning person, you will be at your mentally most acute to tackle challenging and time-sensitive projects first thing in the morning. The most successful business people in the world wake up early to work on high-priority projects while they are most alert, given that the human brain has had plenty of rest. The additional benefit for morning workers is that there are limited interruption by coworkers or employees.
7. Successful people wake up early so that they can check their email.
Again research suggests that the best practice when it comes to email is checking it first thing in the morning. Prioritising from the most important to least important. And focus on crafting any long, detailed emails when this processes of organisation is done.
In short, There are a lot of benefits to waking up early. It shouldn’t be a surprise though that the individuals who have the greatest responsibility and higher paying jobs, are the ones who often wake up earliest. Even more impressive is that their days are often super-scheduled, beginning with their early awakening.
