
It could make you happier, too: Researchers in one study found that morning-type individuals reported higher levels of positivity and well-being. Those include increased productivity with fewer distractions in the early morning, greater creativity because you can work when your mind is fresh, and less stress if you use that extra time for meditation or quiet contemplation.

GM CEO Dan Akerson rises between 4:30 and 5:00 so he can talk to GE Asia.Īpple CEO Tim Cook gets up at 4:30 so he can send emails and be at the gym by 5:00.Įven if they aren't naturally morning larks-the opposite of night owls-they've trained themselves to wake up early for the many benefits an early rise can bring. Virgin Group founder Richard Branson wakes at 5:45 to exercise and eat a proper breakfast. Square CEO Jack Dorsey rises at 5:30 so that he can go for a six-mile jog. In those early hours, they can execute their routines while the rest of the world is asleep. There are exceptions, such as Winston Churchill who liked to say in bed until 11:00 AM, but many high achievers rise early in order to prepare for the day. Regardless of your morning schedule, here are some of the best ways to start your day and prepare for success.

The delicious flavor and high-octane caffeine reinforce the routine so that the next morning I repeat it again.įerris's and Robbins's morning routines both include meditation, while the routines of many others include starting the day off with a fresh cup of coffee. Step #3: Reap the rewards of the routine. This is where I actually turn on the coffee machine, wait for it to brew, pour it into my favorite mug, sit in a chair by the kitchen window, and finally drink the coffee. This habit has been ingrained in my brain over years. When I wake up, my brain immediately knows that it’s time to turn on the coffee machine. Step 1: Something happens that serves as a cue to your brain, putting it into "automatic" mode. In The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do In Life and Business, Charles Duhigg details how habits put our brains into an automatic state where little or no willpower is required. Routines Put Our Brains on Autopilotīut what makes the routines of high achievers so powerful? As it turns out, we're creatures of habit and can use that to accomplish whatever we want. While we're focusing on habits and routines here, most routines could be turned into rituals with a change of perspective. Or it could be a ritual if you think of it as a way to break out of the mundane and enjoy nature. The main difference is the attitude behind the actions: Taking a walk everyday at lunch could be considered a routine if you think of it as something you need to do for your productivity. Routines are usually a collection of habits or actions you do on a regular basis to bring order to your day-checking your email, then writing your day's to-do list, then checking your team's project management tool as a way of getting the day started.

Rituals: Wondering what the difference is between habits, routines, and rituals? Habits are things that we do automatically-things like checking your email first thing in the morning or putting your keys in a specific spot when you get home. High achievers tend to find routines that work for them and then stick to them-it's typically something they credit as a core to their success. Performance coach Tony Robbins also uses a morning routine, which includes a cold shower, breathing exercises, and meditation to prepare him for each day. Productivity guru and experimenter extraordinaire Tim Ferris has five morning rituals to get him into a productive state of mind: making his bed, meditating, exercise, drinking tea, and journaling. A solid routine fosters a well-worn groove for one’s mental energies and helps stave off the tyranny of moods. In the right hands, can be a finely calibrated mechanism for taking advantage of a range of limited resources: time (the most limited resource of all) as well as willpower, self-discipline, optimism. Even though their routines varied wildly, each individual had steps they followed to put them in an optimal state of mind.Īfter studying the great artists, Currey came to this conclusion: In his book Daily Rituals: How Artists Work, Mason Currey writes about the habits, routines, and rituals of hundreds of artists, including Frederic Chopin, Benjamin Franklin, Karl Marx, and Ernest Hemingway. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.
