Will Waking Earlier Make Me Successful?

As I write this, it’s the end of the month again, that time when bills are due, debts rack up, and stress is high. I often can’t help but fantasize about what life might be like if I were more successful as an entrepreneur.

In the business world, success is equated to the capacity to earn lots of money. Entrepreneurs who are said to have “made it” declare incomes in the millions. While my husband and I have some years of business experience, we still have a long road to travel before we achieve that.

Lately, I’ve adopted the pastime of scouring through business-themed websites looking for content that might help us become better businesspeople. On one website, I saw a post with a catchy title, “5 Things Successful People Do.” I clicked on it, and lo and behold, the first thing I saw was: “Successful people wake up early.”

According to another article on HuffPost, success favors early risers for three main reasons. First, there are fewer distractions in the early hours of the day, so a person can be less reactive and more proactive. Second, willpower is said to be highest in the mornings, as sleep energizes the brain. Third, accomplishing something positive early in the morning “sets the tone” for the day, and can inspire a positive chain reaction of events.

Yet if early waking is the key to success, then perhaps I am not so likely to be successful.

I’m a mom who needs to balance work and parental obligations every day. My toddler never goes to sleep until past midnight, which automatically takes an early bedtime off the table. Additionally, I often make use of the wee hours of the day to have my “me time.” Having time to relax and do my hobbies is important to me, so that I don’t feel as if I’ve lost myself in the process of caring for my daughter, Cittie, and my husband, Jared, when he has hemophilia flare-ups.

As much as I want to do things that will lead to success in my chosen career, I believe I need to prioritize living a balanced life based on what works for me.

Thankfully, other ideas about success exist. Adam Grant, an organizational psychologist at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, says: “The world’s most successful people aren’t worried about what time others wake up. They wake and work on the schedule that works for them.”

The world’s most successful people aren’t worried about what time others wake up. They wake and work on the schedule that works for them.#MondayMotivation https://t.co/imIheRpO7Q

— Adam Grant (@AdamMGrant) December 17, 2018

With that in mind, I feel inspired to keep trying. Maybe success will one day favor me, too.

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Note: Hemophilia News Today is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Hemophilia News Today or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to hemophilia.