Ever wonder why early risers smile more? A survey of 20 top CEOs by Yahoo!Finance found that 80% of them wake up every morning at 5:30 or earlier. And the other 20% rise and shine no later than 6:00. According to Forbes, studies show that early risers are more optimistic, conscientious and stable. It turns out that morning people are more proactive too, which leads to greater career success and more pay. Obviously, Ben Franklin wasn’t kidding when he advocated the benefits bestowed upon early risers.
The bottom line: You never know … the quest for additional income could be as easy as readjusting your alarm clock setting.
Photo Credit: Jim Bahn
Len, I’m a big fan of sleep; that said, I wake up earlier than the sun most days. It’s easier to focus on writing, catching up on email and planning my day if I do it before the rest of the world wakes up.
Totally agree, Jay. I’m up and at ’em at 5:00 a.m. on the weekdays. On the weekends I “sleep in” until 7:00.
I get up at 5:30 and I know that I’m definitely most productive in the morning. In fact, I track my to-do list and I typically average 5-6 things done in the early part of the day, and it drops down to 2-3 in the last couple of hours.
I get up at 6:20 each morning so I think I need to move my alarm clock back a little.
I get up at 545 but am at work by 7 so I don’t know if that counts. I sleep in a bit more on the weekends too. I guess I am not motivated enough!
Slacker. 😉
Sadly, most of the CEOs I’ve had the (un)pleasure of meeting have been jerks. So twenty of the *top* CEO’s are probably total douchebags. … Could this be because they’re tired by noon?
If being a success with more pay means waking up early and being a complete knob all day, I think I’ll stay in bed ’til 10.
Hmmm. Maybe those CEOs rub you the wrong way, Edward, because (I assume) you’re a night owl.
Night owls and morning people are incompatible, you know. Just like Aquarians and Virgos. 😉
Ok I’m inspired to wake up early. I am a night owl and I sleep at 5 am on most days. I work best when the world is asleep and I can just focus on work.
I’m with you, Vangile. My most productive time at work often tends to be the first two hours when most everyone else is still driving in to the office.
Many things clicked when I started getting up at 6.06 (don’t ask).
Oh, come on, Maria. Don’t be a tease.
For some reason, my body works better when I wake up 6 min after the hour. Can’t explain it and I realise it sounds rather wacky. Being at my desk for 6.15 is the good part – writing till 8.30 or so is highly productive for me.
If I get up early and crack into the working day by 8.30am (without being distracted by the markets, which open here in the UK at 8am) then I can be done for the day by 2pm.
The same isn’t true if I work from say 3pm to 9pm. Which is a shame, because I love the early morning sun and I’d rather be out in it! 🙂
I’m on the late schedule. I go to bed around midnight, up at 7. Since I live close to work, I’m still in by 8 which beats most of my peers. I just can’t get into the morning thing. My wife hits a 5:30 gym class a few days a week and I don’t know how she does it; I’d so much rather sleep in. But biologically, there is probably something to be said for health/mental outlook when your waking hours are timed more closely with the light hours outside.
It sounds kind of obvious to me that early risers would be people who were more proactive. Just as night owls are probably procrastinators. It’s as simple as both trying to get the same things done. One is planning and starting early, and the other is staying up to finish.
See, I solved it. Except I almost took a hundred words to comment. 🙂
Len, I wake up at 5:30 every day. Just counting down the days to success!
I wake up on or before 6 am in the morning especially in weekdays, but for weekend, it depends, sometimes it would be 7 or 8 am. Somehow I am more inspired by this post.
“There will be sleeping enough in the grave.” – Ben Franklin
Ben was a wise man.
I’m with Ben on this, says the guy who got up at 4:00 this morn. Hell, I’m retired and still wake and motor away by 5:00am every day. You are either a night owl or early bird and not much you can do about circadian cycles and where you fit. However, I have noticed that owls do seem to be more negative in their outlooks for sure. Anyway, when my nightski wife arises today she will find fresh buns cooling on the counter and bacon ready for a treat of a bacon ‘butties’ breakfast. I’ll be off on the tractor enjoying the day and will see her at morning tea break.
I get up at 5:30, too. But honestly, it’s not about getting things done, it’s about having a cup of coffee and reading the news IN PEACE AND QUIET before anyone else gets up (best part of the day! :o)
I’m with you, Lauren. I enjoy the morning solitude too — especially with a cup of coffee.
I have a feeling the early risers get more done because they can get in more coffee before they have to be at work.
I miss my morning caffeine. I drink pure Assam Taylor’s of Harrogate Scottish Breakfast tea. It has more kick than medium roast coffee without the acid.
I have always been an early riser. My work day in the office started by 6:00 a.m. – then later in my career I started my day at 4:30 a.m. which I really enjoyed because I had the whole office to myself until 6 a.m.; quiet time that allowed me to be extremely productive!
It does feel good when you wake up earlier than most people do because it gives us advantages that we are already starting the day, whereas some of them are asleep.
I’m up at 3:45 AM every day during the week which according to many, is crazy. And that’s fine. However it works for me. I work out religiously for a few hours every morning and then off to work. Puts me in the right frame of mind to handle whatever may be thrown at me over the course of the day. Some of my best work and even non-work related ideas have come while cranking out reps or miles on the bike. Moments when you aren’t focused on your work (or anything in particular).
Success belongs to the proactive, frustration is attracted to the reactive.
I am more artistically creative in the morning. Mr. Dave showed some of his fabulous artwork from the past. This is one I created this morning.
____(__|__)____
I call it “Nude On A Park Bench”.
You’re a talented man, Bill! 😉
I’ve always liked the early morning. Everyone was still asleep, and I could ease into my day without motormouths. I could go full speed at getting things done. I even did it when I was a teen. By 2 PM, I’d already put in a hard 8 hour day, and I was going in the house.
Now, Pain disturbs my sleep. I still get up and moving but I will take a nap whenever my body says too.
Question Len, do you think early risers smile more for the same reason they say babies smile?
I have no idea, Bill. I do know I am a very happy morning person. No coffee needed to get me in a good mood – although I still enjoy it in the morning!