I used to be a night owl in the days of my Counterstrike addiction. I’d say to myself ‘hey what’s that noise’ and realise it was the dawn chorus outside and think hell its 4:30am, time for bed.
Now whether you believe it or not you are not born a morning person or night owl. It’s all habit. I owned a pizzeria at the time so wouldn't come home till late and was so wired I'd stay up late and that had become my ingrained habit long since I moved on from B&M to online businesses.
However, in the last 7 months I have been studying hard particularly around habit formation and self-improvement as I identified these as my main weaknesses. I made a vow to improve my productivity by switching my routine. Now I make a conscious effort to go to bed at 10pm and get up at 5am. This was a killer for me to start with. I mean a real killer. At 5am I didn't even know what planet I was on. However I have persevered. I have learned that if you can do something every day for 3 weeks you should have retrained your neural pathways into creating a new habit. I always air on the side of caution and will not break the cycle for at least 30 days. This means still getting up at 5am on weekends when I could easily lie in. That is another tough barrier to break through.
Anyway this has had a huge impact on my productivity. I get up, hit the shower, dress and have breakfast and am at the PC with a coffee and a pint of water just after 5:30. (Another habit I've cultivated is to have good hydration so I make sure I have at least 2 pints before 10am).
That early start gives me well over 2 hours to work in the solitude of a quiet house until I head for the office at around 7:45.
Now I have just started adding 15 minutes of quiet meditation time first thing in the morning so the alarm has been brought forward to 4:45.
By getting up early I guarantee to move forward towards my goals every single day regardless of how the rest of the day pans out, (you know those days that just goes south really quickly and nothing gets achieved? I get far too many of them lately).
So anyway that is my #1 tip. What about you? What have you found to make the most difference in your entrepreneurial life?
Now whether you believe it or not you are not born a morning person or night owl. It’s all habit. I owned a pizzeria at the time so wouldn't come home till late and was so wired I'd stay up late and that had become my ingrained habit long since I moved on from B&M to online businesses.
However, in the last 7 months I have been studying hard particularly around habit formation and self-improvement as I identified these as my main weaknesses. I made a vow to improve my productivity by switching my routine. Now I make a conscious effort to go to bed at 10pm and get up at 5am. This was a killer for me to start with. I mean a real killer. At 5am I didn't even know what planet I was on. However I have persevered. I have learned that if you can do something every day for 3 weeks you should have retrained your neural pathways into creating a new habit. I always air on the side of caution and will not break the cycle for at least 30 days. This means still getting up at 5am on weekends when I could easily lie in. That is another tough barrier to break through.
Anyway this has had a huge impact on my productivity. I get up, hit the shower, dress and have breakfast and am at the PC with a coffee and a pint of water just after 5:30. (Another habit I've cultivated is to have good hydration so I make sure I have at least 2 pints before 10am).
That early start gives me well over 2 hours to work in the solitude of a quiet house until I head for the office at around 7:45.
Now I have just started adding 15 minutes of quiet meditation time first thing in the morning so the alarm has been brought forward to 4:45.
By getting up early I guarantee to move forward towards my goals every single day regardless of how the rest of the day pans out, (you know those days that just goes south really quickly and nothing gets achieved? I get far too many of them lately).
So anyway that is my #1 tip. What about you? What have you found to make the most difference in your entrepreneurial life?
Dislike ads? Become a Fastlane member:
Subscribe today and surround yourself with winners and millionaire mentors, not those broke friends who only want to drink beer and play video games. :-)
Membership Required: Upgrade to Expose Nearly 1,000,000 Posts
Ready to Unleash the Millionaire Entrepreneur in You?
Become a member of the Fastlane Forum, the private community founded by best-selling author and multi-millionaire entrepreneur MJ DeMarco. Since 2007, MJ DeMarco has poured his heart and soul into the Fastlane Forum, helping entrepreneurs reclaim their time, win their financial freedom, and live their best life.
With more than 39,000 posts packed with insights, strategies, and advice, you’re not just a member—you’re stepping into MJ’s inner-circle, a place where you’ll never be left alone.
Become a member and gain immediate access to...
- Active Community: Ever join a community only to find it DEAD? Not at Fastlane! As you can see from our home page, life-changing content is posted dozens of times daily.
- Exclusive Insights: Direct access to MJ DeMarco’s daily contributions and wisdom.
- Powerful Networking Opportunities: Connect with a diverse group of successful entrepreneurs who can offer mentorship, collaboration, and opportunities.
- Proven Strategies: Learn from the best in the business, with actionable advice and strategies that can accelerate your success.
"You are the average of the five people you surround yourself with the most..."
Who are you surrounding yourself with? Surround yourself with millionaire success. Join Fastlane today!
Join Today
