Science has officially (and finally) backed the fact that the early bird can surely get the worm and much more if need be. Since you aren’t a bird and would probably enjoy a coffee in the morning over a worm, let’s take a look at exactly why this is and what #ProductivityHacks and actions successful people take to start their day off right, which you can start adding to your daily routine to improve both your happiness as well as your productivity level before breakfast.
Why Mornings Matter
According to behavioral scientist, Dan Ariely:
Each morning, we get a brief window of 2 hours of time during which we’re most mentally capable of getting stuff done but sadly we waste it on social media.
Many people struggle with starting their day off right because they are easily distracted with what’s on their personal and professional plate of life. Setting up a morning routine that’s going to work for you is critical to maintaining a level of productivity that may just last well into your afternoon or evening if you’re lucky. It’s important to remember that since everyone is different, so will your routines and habits. Let’s take a look at what some of the must successful people adopt into their morning rituals and see how you could begin add them to yours.
How Successful People Start Their Day: Prioritize Your Priorities
If it has to happen, then it has to happen first and science now support this. Those among us who have managed to find professional success and eke out a life actively embrace this philosophy. They must set aside their first hours of the day to invest in their top-priority activities before other people’s priorities come rushing in.
Willpower and the Early Bird
According to Florida State University Psychology Professor Roy Baumeister:
“Willpower is like a muscle that becomes fatigued from overuse”
Diets, he says, come undone in the evening, just as poor self-control and lapses in decision-making often come later in the day. On the other hand, early mornings offer a fresh supply of willpower, and people tend to be more optimistic and ready to tackle challenging tasks.
How Successful People Start Their Day: Habits of Successful People
So what do successful executives and entrepreneurs do when they are rested and fresh? Based on Laura Vanderkam’s research (and her book “What The Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast”) the following 10 things are how the most successful people manage their mornings.
They Wake Up Early
Successful people know that time is a precious commodity. Phone calls, meetings, and crises take time. These things happen at the office. Mornings are different. People control their mornings. Many rise before the sun. They want more time for themselves.
In a poll of 20 executives cited by Vanderkam, 90% said they wake up before 6 a.m. on weekdays. PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi, for example, wakes at 4am and is in the office no later than 7 a.m. Meanwhile, Disney CEO Bob Iger gets up at 4:30 to read, and Square CEO Jack Dorsey is up at 5:30 to jog.
The bottom line: Productive mornings start with early wake-up calls.
They Exercise Before It Falls Off The To-Do List
Exercise is a top morning activity for the rich and powerful. They exercise at home or go to the gym. Xerox CEO Ursula Burns schedules a personal training session twice a week. It starts at 6 a.m. and lasts an hour. Christies CEO Steve Murphy does yoga in the mornings. Starwood Hotels CEO Frits van Paasschen runs every morning. He starts at 5:30 and runs for an hour.
“These are incredibly busy people,” says Vanderkam. “If they make time to exercise, it must be important.”
Beyond the fact that exercising in the morning means they can’t later run out of time, Vanderkam says a pre-breakfast workout helps reduce stress later in the day, counteracts the effects of high-fat diet, and improves sleep.
They Work On A Top-Priority Business Project
Mornings are ideal for focusing on work. You can work without interruption. Completing projects early ensures they get your attention. This happens before others can use up your time.
Debbie Moysychyn dealt with many interruptions. She had many meetings. She felt she couldn’t get anything done. Vanderkam uses Moysychyn as an example. Let anything done. She started thinking of the early mornings as project time, and chose a top-priority project each day to focus on. Sure enough, not a single colleague dropped in on her at 6:30 a.m. She could finally concentrate.
How Successful People Start Their Day: They Work On A Personal Passion Project
Creative activities are easy to skip when you are busy. People often feel tired and hungry at the end of the day. Many people work on personal projects before starting their days. This ensures these projects get attention.
History teacher Charlotte Walker-Said told Vanderkam she spends the hours between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. working on a book about the religious politics of West Africa. She can read journal articles and write several pages before dealing with her teaching responsibilities at the University of Chicago.
Carving out the time in the morning to write, and making it a habit, meant she would actually follow through. Vanderkam cites one study of young professors that showed writing a little bit every day rather than in intense bursts made them more likely to get tenure.
They Spend Quality Time With Family
Family dinners are important. But they don’t have to happen at night. Some people use mornings for family time. They may read to their kids. They may cook breakfast together.
Judi Rosenthal, a financial planner in New York, told Vanderkam that unless she’s traveling mornings are her special time with her young daughter. She helps her get dressed, make the bed, and occasionally they work on art projects together. They also make breakfast and sit at around the table and chat about what’s going on. She calls those 45 minutes “the most precious time I have in a day.”
How Successful People Start Their Day: They Connect With Their Spouses
In the evening, it’s more likely you’ll be tired from the day’s activities, and time can easily be wasted with dinner preparations and zoning out in front of the TV. That’s why many successful people make connecting with their partners a morning ritual.
Many couples use the early hours to talk. For instance, BlackRock Managing Director Obie McKenzie and his wife commute from the suburbs into New York City every morning. They spend the hour-plus trip discussing their lives, finances, household to-do lists, and plans for the week.
They Network Over Coffee
Especially if you like to make it home for dinner, the mornings can be a great time to meet with people for coffee or breakfast. Plus, networking breakfasts are less disruptive than midday lunches and more work-oriented than boozy cocktail parties, Vanderkam notes.
Christopher Colvin, a New York-based lawyer and entrepreneur, started a networking group for Ivy League alums called IvyLife. Most days he wakes at 5:30 a.m. to walk his dog and read, but every Wednesday he attends an IvyLife networking breakfast. “I feel I’m fresher and more creative in the mornings,” he told Vanderkam. “By the end of the day my mind is more cluttered.”
How Successful People Start Their Day: They Meditate To Clear Their Minds
Type-A personalities typically demand as much from others as they do from themselves, so it can be difficult for them to disconnect from their mental to-do lists and calm their minds. Before they head out the door, many successful people devote themselves to a spiritual practice such as meditation or prayer to center themselves for the rush of the day.
Manisha Thakor, a former corporate executive who founded and now runs MoneyZen Wealth Management, practices transcendental meditation to clear her mind. She does two 20-minute sessions a day, the first before breakfast and the second in the evening, and focuses on breathing and repeating a mantra in her head. She’s found it to be “one of the most life-enhancing practices” she’s ever experienced, she told Vanderkam.
How Successful People Start Their Day: They Write Down Things They’re Grateful For
Expressing gratitude is another great way to center yourself and get the proper perspective before heading to the office. Writing down the people, places, and opportunities that you’re grateful for takes just a few minutes but can make a real difference in your outlook.
Pharmaceutical exec Wendy Kay told Vanderkam she spends a good chunk of her morning “expressing gratitude, asking for guidance, and being open to inspiration.” When she gets to work, she always has a clear vision for herself and her staff.
How Successful People Start Their Day: They Plan And Strategize While They’re Fresh
Planning the day, week, or month ahead is an important time management tool to keep you on track when you’re in the thick of it. Using the mornings to do big-picture thinking helps you prioritize and set the trajectory of the day.
Banking exec turned teacher Christine Galib wakes at 5 a.m. on weekdays, exercises, reads a few Bible verses, and reviews her tasks for the day before making breakfast. She told Vanderkam this ritual makes her days more manageable and effective.
They Check Their Email
While time management gurus may suggest putting off email as long as possible, many successful people start the day with email. They may quickly scan their inboxes for urgent messages that need an immediate response or craft a few important emails that they can better focus on while their minds are fresh.
For instance, Gretchen Rubin, author of “The Happiness Project,” wakes at 6 every morning before her family’s up at 7. She uses the time to clear her inbox, schedule the day, and read social media. Getting these tasks out of the way from the start helps her concentrate better when she moves on to more challenging projects, she told Vanderkam.
How Successful People Start Their Day: They Read The News
Whether it’s sitting in the corner diner and reading the papers or checking the blogs and Twitter from their phones, most successful people have a pre-breakfast ritual for getting the latest headlines.
For example, GE CEO Jeff Immelt starts his days with a cardio workout and reads the paper while watching CNBC. Meanwhile, Virgin America CEO David Cush uses his mornings to listen to sports radio and read the papers while hitting the stationary bike at the gym.
By the time they get to work, they have a pretty good idea of what’s going on in the world. Then, they can get down to the business of changing it.
How Successful People Start Their Day: Still Need Proof?
Kenneth Chenault, AMEX CEO
Chenault has a nightly routine. He writes down three things before leaving the office. He wants to tackle these things the next day. Then he’ll use that list to start his next day.
Anna Wintour, VOGUE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
One of the more enthusiastic morning routines is Wintour’s daily ritual of playing tennis. Starts each day at 5:45 a.m. with an hour-long tennis match.
Margaret Thatcher, FORMER U.K. PRIME MINISTER
People believed Thatcher was a short sleeper. Short sleepers need less sleep than usual. She attended late-night political meetings. still woke up at 5:00 a.m. She listened to “Farming Today.” This popular BBC Radio program was about food, farming, and the countryside.
Ben Franklin, A FOUNDING FATHER OF THE UNITED STATES
Franklin’s popular to-do list included some specific rules for how he started each morning. His morning routine took three hours. It lasted from 5:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. He addressed “Powerful Goodness.” He also planned the rest of his day. Every morning Franklin asked himself, “What good shall I do today?”
David Karp, TUMBLR FOUNDER
Karp saves all of his emails until he arrives at work at 9:30 or 10:00 a.m., after a 15-minute walk (or even faster Vespa ride) from home. “If something urgently needs my attention,” he said, “someone will call or text me.” Once at work, email is Karp’s first task. He’ll check his inbox, which contains only emails from Tumblr staff and from his girlfriend. Then he’ll sift through an “unsorted” folder of other emails, all the while making a list in a notebook of the things he needs to get done.
The Power of Coaching
Many successful people attribute their achievements, in part, to the guidance and support of executive coaches. These coaches provide a valuable outside perspective, helping individuals identify blind spots, overcome challenges, and develop strategies for reaching their full potential. Executive coaches can help individuals clarify their goals, improve their decision-making skills, enhance their communication strategies, and build stronger relationships. By investing in an executive coach, individuals demonstrate a commitment to their personal and professional growth, which can lead to increased productivity, improved performance, and greater career satisfaction.
Final Thoughts:
Test the waters with a few different approaches instead of overcommitting to one. Time is a limited resource for everyone, so experiment to find what works best for you. For my life, my morning ritual has evolved over the years but a few things have consistently remained:
- Meditate on what I want to achieve in my day & be grateful for what I have
- Exercise at 5am
- Eat a healthy and balanced breakfast
- Quickly check my email & review my calendar
So what morning rituals have you created for a successful life?
With leadership,
Joshua
*****
Not-your-typical Personal and Executive Master Certified Coach.
Joshua Miller is a creative and impactful leader. His career experience has spanned both the advertising world and the world of leadership and organizational development. In advertising, he was responsible in delivering campaign strategies for Fortune 100 companies. Now he innovates and delivers results when supporting executive talent development and change management for the same clients.
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