“Eat a live frog first thing in the morning, and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” Mark Twain said that.
What he means is that you should ALWAYS tackle the toughest tasks in your day first. When you do this, you have a sense of accomplishment at the top of your day, and everything else that comes your way is easier to deal with.
But what if you’re the type who finds it tough to get out of bed on most mornings, let alone tackle difficult tasks? What if you can’t bear the thought of leaping out of bed at the crack of dawn?
As always, you can trust me to tell it to you straight. Are you ready? Here it is…
If you’re serious about becoming a successful coach or entrepreneur, you need to be serious about getting things done in the early part of the day.
Yes, I’m talking about becoming an early riser. Some of the most successful people in the world get out of bed before dawn, and it’s because you can get a whole lot done in the quiet hours of the early morning.
But that’s not all. When you learn to override the overwhelming need to hit the snooze button for the 20th time, you are cultivating something that’s absolutely critical for your success…
Discipline.
Yes, I know, it’s an old-fashioned word, but it’s one of those things that never goes out of style.
Discipline is the foundational structure of a whole host of success habits, including perseverance, focus, delayed gratification, and lots more.
Having said all that, I know it’s not easy to get into the habit of jumping out of bed in the early hours of the morning. Especially if you happen to be a night owl.
So, I’ve put together a list of ideas from some of the world’s top entrepreneurs and the world’s earliest risers. Think of this as an “inspiration list” to get you motivated to start your day before the sun does.
1. Let it hit you in the eyes
This first idea is a clever way to create a natural wake-up call.
World-class entrepreneur and head of the mega-successful Virgin Group, Sir Richard Branson, suggests that you leave your bedroom curtains undrawn when you go to bed at night.
He does the same thing, and when the sun comes up at 5.45 a.m. and hits him in the eyes, it helps him to bounce out of bed without hitting the snooze button.
2. Keep things simple
It’s hard enough to wake up while it’s still dark outside, and that’s why you need to keep your morning routine as simple as possible. If you don’t, there’s a much higher likelihood that you’ll end up staying in bed because you can’t bring yourself to face your complicated, time-consuming morning routine.
Both Zuckerberg and Apple co-founder Steve Jobs are well-known for wearing the same outfit each day to avoid wasting time deciding what to wear. Tory Burch, fashion designer and CEO of Tory Burch LLC, keeps things simple with a low-maintenance haircut. She’s even known to leave the house with wet hair.
3. Get the details out of the way
You don’t always have to do the toughest work in the mornings. You can also set aside time to get the small but time-consuming tasks completed in the pre-dawn hours.
When you realize just how much time opens up in your day when you can get some of these tiny but time-consuming things done, you’ll be motivated to jump out of bed every day.
Michelle Phan, the Internet celebrity and co-founder of Ipsy, told Inc. that she responds to individual user comments on her YouTube channel. Designer Burch likes to check and reply to their work emails.
4. Enjoy family time
Getting out of bed early won’t seem like such a drag when you can look forward to doing something you love, like spending time with the people who mean the most to you.
Branson spends time with his family before getting to his business, and he says that it puts him in a great frame of mind. Founder of Amazon, Jeff Bezos, avoids morning meetings so he can spend time with his wife over breakfast.
Founder of VaynerMedia, Gary Vaynerchuk says he hugs his kids for “five minutes” before leaving the house, and he calls a family member while driving to work.
Even if waking up early and sticking to an early morning ritual may not seem like a priority now, understand that the more successful you get, the more you’ll need to get done.
So become an early riser. It’s one of the best ways to stay ahead of the pack and on top of your game.
