6 Things Successful People Do Before Most Are Awake

"It's the early bird that gets the worm." Historians can't tell us which ancient sage first penned this bit of wisdom but it has certainly proven true. If you were to peek at the schedule of the word's most successful people (past and present), you could clearly see that they wisely spend their early hours.



In a recent Forbes article, the author notes that both Margaret Thatcher, the UK's former prime minister and Disney CEO Robert Iger liked beginning their days before everyone else. What were/are these movers and shakers doing before the sun came up? Should you do it too? Let's take a look at some of the things successful people do before most are awake.

Early risers master their schedule. Tired of ending each day wishing for just a few more hours to accomplish needed tasks? You should join the 5 o'clock club! People who get up early have enough time to prioritize their daily task lists.

Successful people exercise. You can be brainy, witty, even clever but without some physical stamina, you won't have the energy needed to do all that you dream. Successful people exercise regularly. The kind of exercise varies but getting the blood moving and the cardio working is important.

Early birds pray and/or meditate. There's just something special about spending a few quiet minutes in a garden, before the cars whiz by and the birds begin to chatter. Early wakers are often praying folk who call upon a higher power for spiritual strength for the day.

They write a list. The late Mary Kay Ash, founder of landmark cosmetics company Mary Kay had a secret. She was an early riser who loved writing lists. In a speech at one of her last conferences, she reminded the audience of the importance of creating a daily list. She recommended that her sales team members write a list of the six most important things to do each night before they went to bed. It worked for her!

They read something uplifting. Early risers reach for something uplifting. This could be a snippet of inspirational text, a chapter from a self-help or a page or two from an auto-biography.

Successful people talk to the most important people in their life. Successful people value personal relationships. Whether its spending time with a spouse, calling a relative or eating breakfast with the kids, successful people start their day interacting with the most important people in their life.

Think this strategy may work for you?