Getting up early may be one of the most common stereotypes about successful people, but it’s also true. As with most things in life, there is a pattern to successful millionaires. The Richest Entrepreneurs, Entrepreneurs, Founders, and CEOs in the World all have a few things in common (and no, we don’t mean money). Of course, insight; is being able to take the right risks and make the right choices (with a few wrong turns of course). They are also always trying to find out more so that they can know more and, in turn, do more. Then, they handle time like a boss (literally). They know how to plan their day to get the most out of it, and they almost always work best with a routine they can stick to most days.
But while most successful millionaires have these qualities and skills (or have gotten better at them over time), almost all of them have one basic habit that runs through them. It’s a habit that’s much easier to get into than others, like making good decisions, and it pays off almost right away. This habit is getting up early.
It seems quite simple. It may even be something that some of you already do. But the key is to be consistent. You need to make sure that getting up early is part of your routine and something you do with enough commitment that you don’t let things get in the way. Of course, you can have days off, rest on Sundays, and other things like that. But getting up early will only make a difference if it becomes a habit.
Why is it so Useful to Get up Early?
This habit is good for a couple of reasons. The first is that it gives you the feeling that your mind has control over your body. When you manage to get out of bed early, rain or shine, your mind wins out over your body’s desires. “Five more minutes” is usually a sign of laziness or sleepiness, not actual exhaustion.
The second reason to get up early is that it gives you more time during the day to get things done. Have you ever noticed that on a day when you have to get up early for a flight or a meeting, you get more done just because you’re up longer? You can use that extra time to do all the things you usually have trouble doing. Even getting up an hour earlier can make a big difference.
In addition to the amount of time, the morning also gives you quality time. The quiet of the first few hours guarantees silence and few distractions, giving you time to think. Billionaires like Mark Cuban, Bill Gates, and Jeff Bezos say they have their best ideas in the morning.
It’s also the best time for two other important things: getting off to a healthy start and getting your brain going at the right time, which can be done by working out and eating a good breakfast. People say that working out in the morning is best because it wakes up the mind and kickstarts the process of burning calories. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and most of us are usually in a hurry because we are late for work. Starting early lets you think about both.
So, even though there are a lot of other skills that need to be developed, this is a good place to start. Set your cell phone alarm an hour earlier every day until you get up at 6 a.m., and you’ll be well on your way to having great ideas. The best part is that you’ll soon see how important it is to get up early.