How I Got a Jump Start on My Day

When the author first started in the financial-services business, he was in his late twenties and was getting up between 6:00 and 7:00 A.M. every day. He thought the "flexibility" inherent in his career choice gave him that option, and that as long as he was in the office by 8:30 A.M., it didn't really matter. The early-morning hours are special. At that point in the day, things happen in the realm of preparation that separate top performers from everyone else. He started realizing that getting up earlier was helping him make better decisions about what he did at night. Things began to snowball. Soon enough, getting up early became an almost unbreakable habit. Drawing on the strength of discipline he learned in changing his work schedule allowed him to accomplish more than he ever thought possible.