Wake Up Early!
In the business world it often seems that there aren’t enough hours in the day to get what we need done, so we stay up late working. But the secret to success may be the opposite of the night-owl life. Many successful women in business wake up early and say this increases their productivity in both their personal and work lives.
Starbuck’s President Michelle Gass gets up at 4:30am to run to clear her mind while Vogue magazine editor Anna Wintour plays tennis at 6:00am. The pre-breakfast morning hours are important to successful people because that is when they have the most control over their schedules.
But if you are like me and can’t imagine waking up early to exercise, there are other reasons to wake up early. You can use the extra hour to have some alone time to plan out your day or do something you enjoy before your husband, kids, or roommates wake up.
According to time-management expert Laura Vanderkam, author of “What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast (Portfolio Trade 2013), “ If you wait until the end of the day to do meaningful but not urgent things like exercise, pray, read, ponder how to advance your career or grow your organization, or truly give your family your best, it probably won’t happen.”
Even if you aren’t a morning person, you may have more willpower in the early hours than later in the day. “Willpower is like a muscle that becomes fatigued with over-use,” says Vanderkam. During the course of the day as you are dealing with difficult people, making decisions and battling traffic, you use up your willpower, leaving you feeling depleted toward the end of the day.”
Starting off the day with success – accomplishing something meaningful to you, no matter how small – can set the tone for a happier or more productive day.
With the lazy days of summer upon us, instead of sleeping late on the weekends or hitting the snooze button four times before getting out of bed to go to work, try waking up an hour earlier to make your day more productive.
For those who are celebrating the holy month of Ramadan, which begins around July 10th, this summer might be the perfect time to start the transition from night owl to morning bird. Instead of going for extra sleep, wake up to partake in suhoor, the morning meal before dawn, pray, spend time with family and start the day off with positive energy.
About Theresa Weber:
Theresa Weber is Co-Founder of Alexandria Consulting Team (ACT) LLC an international management consultancy.
Terry is also editor of the daily e-newsletter: MENA #WomeninBusiness Forum. You can follow her on twitter @ TheresaFWeber and @ACT_LLC
