“If you’re changing the world, you’re working on important things. You’re excited to get up in the morning.” — Larry Page
We are all fascinated with the rich and famous.
We what to learn how they got to where they are today.
We want to know what made them so successful.
The Early Bird…
“The early bird catches the worm.” — William Camden
They say that the early bird catches the worm and that seems to be true for some of the world’s most successful people.
Getting up early allows them to get a head start on their day. It allows them to accomplish their most important tasks before the rest of us get out of bed.
Some early risers include:
- Richard Branson gets with the sun at 5:45 am.
- Gary Vaynerchuk wakes up at 6 am.
- Warren Buffett wakes up at 6:45 am.
- Elon Musk rises at 7 am.
- Jeff Bezos wakes up between 7 and 8am,
- Mark Zuckerberg wakes by 8am.
In his five-year study of 177 self-made millionaires, author Thomas C. Corleyfound that nearly 50% of them woke up at least three hours before their workday actually began.
Do you have to get up at 4:00 am to be successful?
No!
But, you do need to get up early enough to accomplish your most important tasks while you are the most productive.
What Do They Do With Their Extra Hours?
“If it has to happen, then it has to happen first,” Laura Vanderkam author of What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast.
They Exercise
“These are incredibly busy people. If they make time to exercise, it must be important.” — Laura Vanderkam.
Successful people exercise because it is important. They make it a point to exercise in the morning because they know that if they put it off to the end of the day it might not happen.
A study conducted by researchers at the University of Bristol found that people who exercised daily had more energy and a more positive outlook, which are both critical for getting things done.
Richard Branson, Tim Cook, and Disney’s Bob Iger all wake up well before 6:00 a.m. to exercise. Most people who exercise daily, do it in the morning.
Exercising first thing in the morning ensures that you will have the time for it.
If successful people make the time for exercise first thing in the morning it must be important.
Take some time to exercise first thing in the morning.
They Meditate
“Exercise, prayer, and meditation are examples of calming rituals. They have been shown to induce a happier mood and provide a positive pathway through life’s daily frustrations.” — Chuck Norris
Meditation is becoming more popular among the world’s most successful people. Studies show that meditation reduces stress, improves your ability to focus, and boosts your creativity.
Mark Cuban, Jack Dorsey, and Oprah all start their day with meditation. Oprah even teamed up with Deepak Chopra to host a 21-day meditation challenge which helped thousands of people learn to meditate daily.
Take some time to relax and clear your head before you start your day.
They Plan
“Failing to plan is planning to fail.” — Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin would wake up at 4:00 a.m. to plan his schedule each day, and most successful people do the same thing.
Arianna Huffington wakes up early, exercises and then plans her priorities for the day.
Tony Robbins takes 10 minutes to himself each morning to visualize what he wants to accomplish that day.
Take some time to plan your day to maximize your potential for success.
They Read
“Read 500 pages like this every day. That’s how knowledge works. It builds up, like compound interest. All of you can do it, but I guarantee not many of you will do it.” — Warren Buffett
Disney CEO Bob Iger gets up at 4:30 to read, GE CEO Jeff Immelt reads the paper first thing in the morning. One of the most successful men in the world, Warren Buffett, starts his day by reading.
Buffett typically reads six newspapers each day: The Wall Street Journal, The Financial Times, The New York Times, The USA Today, The Omaha World-Herald and American Banker.
Reading is so important to his success that Warren Buffett spends 80% of his day reading.
Spend some time reading first thing in the morning.
They Accomplish Their Most Important Task
“If you have to eat two frogs, eat the ugliest one first. This is another way of saying that if you have two important tasks before you, start with the biggest, hardest, and most important task first.” ― Brian Tracy, Eat That Frog!
We all have that one item on our to-do list that we dread doing. It feels like a dark cloud hanging over our head, and we resist doing it until we have no other choice.
Successful people complete that task first thing in the morning, get it out of the way, and get on with their day.
“Your most important tasks and priorities are those that can have the most serious consequences, positive or negative, on your life or work. Focus on these above all.” — Brian Tracy
Do you most important task first thing in the morning and the rest of your day will feel better.
They Spend Quality Time With Their Family
“I’m recently married, and my husband and I make it a point to chat every morning — especially when I’m traveling. It grounds me and ensures that I start my day on a positive note.” — Payal Kadakia, founder and CEO of ClassPass
Besides to working out first thing in the morning, Richard Branson makes it a point to spend mornings with his family.
“No matter where I am in the world, I try to routinely wake up at around 5 am. By rising early, I’m able to do some exercise and spend time with my family, which puts me in a great mind frame before getting down to business.” Richard Branson
If Richard Branson and Payal Kadakia can find time to spend with their family, you and I can too.
Spending time with your family is not only good for your relationships, but research shows that spending time with your family is good for your health.
If you want to be healthy, happy, and successful, spend some time with your family today.
Conclusion
Successful people wake up early.
They use the extra time to exercise, plan their day and spend some quality time with their family.
The most important thing that we can learn from their morning routines is that they all do what works for them.
They all have different routines.
They all do what makes them the most happy, healthy, and productive.
We need to develop our own routines not copy theirs.
We need to develop morning routines that will help us to be happy, healthy, and successful.
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Originally published at medium.com