Why Most Successful Leaders Start The Day Early
- BY MYB
In Aspire & Lead
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A new report published in the Wall Street Journal says that 4 a.m. may be the most productive time of the day. Since the early morning time is precious, successful people reserve this ‘sacred time’ for things that energize and inspire them, whether it is self-care, exercise, family time, personal growth or spiritual connection. The clear reasons behind the increased productivity at such an hour are:
- Minimal distractions
Gives them time to focus on what truly matters, plan the day and think without distractions (kids, phone calls or work).
- Kick-start the day as they want
Whether it is exercise, yoga, walking the dogs or anything. Many also utilize this time to catch up with what is happening on the other side of the globe.
- Less on social media
Many successful people do not even check their FB or Twitter first thing in the morning. In fact David Cameron has a ‘No TV policy’ in the mornings!
If the above list did not convince you, there are actually a number of successful leaders and entrepreneurs who have declared that they are most productive when most of the world is snoring. Some of these are:
- Tim Cook: The Apple CEO starts his morning routine at 3:45 a.m.
- Sallie Krawcheck: The chief executive of Ellevest confesses, "I'm never more productive than at 4 a.m."
- Richard Branson: The billionaire entrepreneur wakes up at 5 a.m. to exercise and spend time with family. He admits that it puts him in a great mind frame before getting down to business.
- David Cush: The Virgin America CEO wakes up at 4:15 a.m. to call business associates on the East Coast, following which he listens to sports radio, reads the paper and hits the gym.
- Howard Schultz: The CEO of Starbucks gets up at around 4:30 am every morning to walk his three dogs, before coming home and making coffee for himself and his wife by 5:45 a.m.
There are obviously things that you have to do, like hitting the sack early, less social time, missing late night concerts or shows or in a good way, less time to indulge in stupidities like over eating dessert or watching TV till your eyes are red! We, at MYB realize that while it may be a tough call, some of these success-building habits are not so hard to cultivate. So, have you set the alarm?
