Six Morning Habits of Highly Successful People

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that how you start your day impacts how much you’ll accomplish before your head hits the pillow that night.

Have you ever wondered what successful people do right when they wake up? What secrets do they know that we don’t?

Believe it or not, their morning routine isn’t overly complicated – but it’s consistent.

Here are six morning habits followed by highly successful people.

1. Wake up early

Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, is known to start his day before 5 a.m. The Rock is pumping iron at 4 a.m. Both Oprah and The Obamas are also early risers. In fact, many of the world’s top CEOs are early risers.

Waking up early comes with several advantages. Perhaps the biggest is that it allows you to get a head start on the day while others are still asleep. Meaning, you can be more productive before distractions and other obligations arise.

2. Make your bed

There is a well-known speech that Admiral William H. McRaven delivered to graduates of The University of Texas at Austin. Admiral McRaven was a navy seal for more than 35 years and underwent some of the most challenging training known to humankind. He shared that the first thing instructors did with their recruits in the morning was inspect their beds.

“If you make your bed every morning you will have accomplished the first task of the day. It will give you a small sense of pride, and it will encourage you to do another task and another and another. By the end of the day, that one task completed will have turned into many tasks completed,” said McRaven.

3. Read something

Bill Gates reads at least three newspapers every morning. Warren Buffett apparently reads six. Many successful people have an early-morning reading routine.

Not only does reading help you stay on top of current affairs, which could be important for the work you do. But it also helps your brain get going, removing any lingering grogginess from when you woke up.

4. Work Out

Richard Branson and Bob Iger wake up early in order to exercise. For one, working out early improves the likelihood you’ll do it, rather than finding the motivation at the end of a long day. But working out improves energy levels, helping you meet your next task while firing on all cylinders.

5. Schedule your day with a purpose

It’s important to plan out your day. Have an idea of what you want to accomplish from the very start. Many successful entrepreneurs and industry leaders will decide before going into work exactly what they want to get done that day. Be specific and write them down. That improves the likelihood you’ll follow through.

6. Eat your breakfast

Since we were children, we’ve always heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Now admittedly, some successful people don’t eat breakfast: looking at you Mr. Gates.

But others do.

Popeyes CEO Cheryl Bachelder opts for steel-cut oatmeal when she's at home, and scrambled eggs when she’s on the road. But coffee is a constant.

Truth be told, there’s no consensus on whether breakfast really is the day’s most important meal. But if you’re someone who struggles with low energy levels in the morning, having a better breakfast may be just what you need.