How early do you get up to seize the day?

Was reading an article which states that the likes of Tim Cook and Richard Branson wakes up at 4am everyday to kickstart their productivity.


A new report published in the Wall Street Journal says that 4 a.m. may be the most productive time of the day.

However, do note that the productivity mentioned here is more of time spent checking email, working out, spending time with the family etc as opposed to doing work.


Productivity in this context may not necessarily be work-related. The trend seems to be pointing toward reserving this "sacred time" for things that will energize you and set you up for success the rest of the day -- self-care, exercise, family time, personal growth, and spiritual connection.

So I was wondering if any of you here is an early riser, what are your experiences? Do you find yourself falling asleep really early to offset the early waking habit?

And for most monkeys, what time do you generally get up?

 

I base it around number of hours of sleep per night. I try to get between 6-8 hours, although if I manage to get 9 once in a blue moon, that's my sweet spot (trust me, I wish I could be one of those people that can work off 4-5 hours/night).

So if it's a Sunday night and I'm not doing much, I'll go to bed earlier and wake up earlier. But if it's a late night then I'm waking up later to ensure I get enough sleep.

 
EnergyHOU:

Nothing beats a quick 5K run in the morning. Unfortunate that I've been having to run in the afternoons more often then not these days...

Now do you actually enjoy exercise or have you been lying to yourself long enough where you believe your own lies? I've been trying to get into an exercise routine and I still hate it just as much as the day I started.

I even started eating Chopt and I find that I hate my fucking life whenever I have salad for dinner.

I guess some people were meant to be health nuts and others were just destined to die prematurely from heart disease.

 
Pokemon Master:
EnergyHOU:

Nothing beats a quick 5K run in the morning. Unfortunate that I've been having to run in the afternoons more often then not these days...

Now do you actually enjoy exercise or have you been lying to yourself long enough where you believe your own lies? I've been trying to get into an exercise routine and I still hate it just as much as the day I started.

I even started eating Chopt and I find that I hate my fucking life whenever I have salad for dinner.

I guess some people were meant to be health nuts and others were just destined to die prematurely from heart disease.

It's a mix, there are days I enjoy it especially if I get a runner's high, and then there are days it's just miserable. But regarding believing my own lie, for me exercising isn't about lying or not lying to myself. I just know, for a fact, that it's a necessity for me. So forget enjoying it or not enjoying it, etc. I just treat it as another thing that has to get done.

Diet wise, blessed with fast metabolism. I eat a lot and see little to no effect. I pack my salads into wraps, still sucks but better than salad alone.

 

Bro, there's nothing like knowin underneath that Saville Rowe bespoke suit lies a six pack that gets the ladies wet. And that alone brings your status above any fat fuck squid. Joking, I'm a really humble guy. But seriously, lifting gives me so much energy/stamina. I highly recommend for simply the mental gainz, disregarding any physical/health benefits.

 

Lately I've been 615. Get my little dudes to daycare and get into the office around 8 (corporate finance).

Last year I was getting up at 415 3 days a week. I'd workout 5-6 and then starting my day. It was awesome and there's no doubt that I was more productive and felt better. Nagging injuries and laziness have really put a damper on that.

I'm REALLY not a morning person, but forcing yourself to do it for a few weeks and then feeling so much better is really motivating.

twitter: @CorpFin_Guy
 

I tried studying after work for the CFA Level 2 and failed spectacularly. I was studying from the ebooks so my eyes were too tired from being in the computer all day. Besides, I read in the NYT that people learn better if they do excercise after studying. My personal choice would be to study in the morning and excercise later.

 

4-5 AM, get around 5-6 hours of sleep per night. I do daily stretches, starting to exercise and take the dog out for a walk to give back to nature.

Even as a FT student this was the same routine, feels great when it's noon and you're kicking a**.

 

I'm a 4 am guy (M-F), but that's mostly a function of all the work I do in Europe. First hour of the day I spend reading, getting in a workout, mapping out my day via 5-Minute Journal, and generally gearing up for the day ahead. I'm typically at my desk around 5:30 am, and I go hard until 2pm. I take a break for a few hours, hang out with the kids, whatever, and then get a little work done at night. I'm generally in bed no later than 10pm, and more often between 8-9pm.

 

I'm certainly no bastion of fitness to emulate, but I do the 5x5 protocol for a lot of the reasons you just mentioned. It's a good workout, but it's fairly brainless so I don't have to wonder what I'm doing day to day. You escalate the weight you use each subsequent workout (until failure, obviously). I find that it's just the easiest way to get in a good workout under a half hour when I'm still half asleep.

 

The idea of having a full day of work ahead of me whilst working out is pretty daunting to me. Always work out after work, that way I get some steam off and know that I get to relax afterwards.

Colourful TV, colourless Life.
 
Best Response

If I need to get something done that is time-boxed, requires brain power and a high level of focus, I am waking up at 4:00AM on the weekdays until the task is complete (e.g. certifications, high-pressure projects). I am remarkably productive from 5:00AM -> 8:00AM when people are still asleep. From 8:00AM -> 10:00AM, I've still got the ball rolling but I know that my time fending off natural light, general noise and daily impulses is starting to wear thin. Finally, somewhere between 10:00AM -> 11:30AM, my focus breaks and I come to terms with the fact that my grind is done. For the remainder of the day, I'll run anywhere between 50 - 70% productivity which is where I'll schedule my meetings, compose emails and deal with administrative tasks.

I would love to live 4:00AM to 10:00PM for the rest of my life and use the weekends for catch up for lost time, but my social life doesn't fare well with my professional life. A random happy hour on the weekdays, a long night or two the weekends and the occasional day drinking session throws the proverbial wrench in a daily regimen that requires diligence and presence of mind to sustain.

One day, I see my dilemma coming to an impasse but for now, I'm pulling it off. I think there will be either an opportunity / event that requires me to live such a rigid lifestyle that requires this level of intensity but as it is right now, I haven't lost yet. That could be the problem in the first place.

 

Depends what time they are going to sleep / how much sleep they are getting. I find 10pm - 5am works for me (7 hours), definitely productive as a mongoose in those first couple hours though. Feels like you've achieved something before the day even starts (ahead of the pack).

Associate at Family Office "Investing is not a game of Possibilities but of Probabilities."
 

I sleep like a baby......meaning I wake up every few hours, pissing myself and crying. I wake up when I wake up. Alarm clocks are not for me. But, I normally wake up around 4:30 - 5:30. The early hours are productive for things like email and reading newspapers. Then I spend the bulk of my day on the phone or in meetings conducting bidness.

 

I usually am up at 5:30 to start my day with reading condensed world and industry news, in the office at 7:30, workout after work then study for the GMAT. Something I'd recommend is using http://sleepyti.me/. It seems too basic to have any impact but I've found that following sleep cycles is the best way to feel good no matter how many hours I sleep.

 

I wake up at 430AM now, and personally have found it very beneficial. I usually get coffee and hit the gym at 5am when it opens, by the time i'm at work, i'm very energized, focused and awake. Also, it feels like I have more time during the day. I read somewhere that humans use to naturally wake up before the sun rose, and for me it feels easier waking up at 4:30AM then say 7AM.

 

Wake up at 7:30/45 if I'm not going to the gym. I actually prefer going to work out at night (get to the gym ~10/10:30 and in bed by 12:30 on average). If I go to the gym in the AM, then I wake up at 5:30 (usually every Friday).

 

If you can't wake up at 5 and run 5 to 7 miles after having gone to bed at 1 then you need to reevaluate your life.

Follow the shit your fellow monkeys say @shitWSOsays Life is hard, it's even harder when you're stupid - John Wayne
 

My god, I envy you guys. I wake up at 6:10, gotta leave at 6:45 max. as I take around 2:30 hrs to get to the office. After work I usually go to school (usually as it depends on when I leave the office) so I'm usually home around 1AM. No energy at all for exercising. Maybe I'm one of those persons marked for an early death due to sedentarism. Oh well.

 

6:15. In the office for 8.

Tried the morning workout routine and it had me sleepy and groggy for the entire workday afterwards so not wasting my time with that anymore.

"The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it." - George Bernard Shaw
 

I NEVER SLEEP. SLEEP IS FOR THE WEAK. METH MAKES STRONG BANKERS. ALSO, MY HEART IS DOING WEIRD THINGS.

Okay in reality, I'm up at 6 because my wife wakes up to run at 6 every morning like clockwork.

I used to lift in the morning 3 days a week before work, following the Starting Strength protocol. The benefit was I got strong and I felt like a god after I got to work having already done my heavy 5s, but the downside was I got pretty groggy after about 2pm, and loading up limit deadlifts a half hour after getting out of bed makes you feel like you're going to shit out your spine.

Now my schedule looks a bit different--during the week I try to move for about a half hour in the morning (running, mobility, lighter weights), as those workouts seem to give me energy instead of sap it. I save my heavy work for the weekends when I can go eat and take a nap afterwards. It's not a long-term strength-building strategy, but it helps me feel more alert through the day.

"Son, life is hard. But it's harder if you're stupid." - my dad
 

4am or 4:20am wake up and make my togo eggs/protein shakes. head to the gym(a hotel gym opens 24/7) for 1 hr. arrive the office before 7am. and in order to do this I don't have many times in the night to hang out. usually go to sleep before 9:45pm.

but i'm still trying to figure out how to make my breakfast better

Who dares, wins
 

The sweet stench of an acquisition.

Honestly, when I'm working on a live deal I look forward to getting into the office. It's when things are slow that my motivation might start to wane.

 

The fact that I'll get fired if I don't.

And the fact that I keep all my caffeinated substances at work, so if I want my morning bump ASAP, I have to go in. I do my best to give myself some extra motivation.

 

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------------ I'm making it up as I go along.
 

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I'm talking about liquid. Rich enough to have your own jet. Rich enough not to waste time. Fifty, a hundred million dollars, buddy. A player. Or nothing. See my Blog & AMA
 

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