What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast: A Short Guide to Making Over Your Mornings--and Life (A Penguin Special from Por tfolio)

Laura Vanderkam

Jun 2012 · Sold by Penguin

About this ebook

Mornings are a madcap time for many of us. We wake up in a haze—often after hitting snooze a few times. Then we rush around to get ready and out the door so we can officially start the day. Before we know it, hours have slipped by without us accomplishing anything beyond downing a cup of coffee, dashing off a few emails, and dishing with our coworkers around the water cooler. By the time the workday wraps up, we’re so exhausted and defeated that any motivation to accomplish something in the evening has vanished.

But according to time management expert Laura Vanderkam, mornings hold the key to taking control of our schedules. If we use them wisely, we can build habits that will allow us to lead happier, more productive lives.

Drawing on real-life anecdotes and scientific research that shows why the early hours of the day are so important, Vanderkam reveals how successful people use mornings to help them accomplish things that are often impossible to take care of later in the day. While many of us are still in bed, these folks are scoring daily victories to improve their health, careers, and personal lives without sacrificing their sanity. For instance, former PepsiCo chairman and CEO Steve Reinemund would rise at 5:00 a.m., run four miles, pray, and eat breakfast with his family before heading to work to run a Fortune 500 company.

What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast is a fun, practical guide that will inspire you to rethink your morning routine and jump-start your life before the day has even begun.

Ratings and reviews

A lot of known insights compiled in this book. If you haven't read other self improvement books this is is just fine. If you are an avid reader of things like the "Miracle morning" this one is just a summary

If you're on the fence about making some life changes, this book does offer some good, if brief insight on the wasted hours of the morning and how to make better use of them. Best takeaway thought - Successful people have priorities.

With new military responsibilities and a baby on the way, this book helps me to adjust to the variable dynamics of life while bringing out the best in me. Easy and purposeful read.

About the author

Laura Vanderkam is the author of 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think and All the Money in the World: What the Happiest People Know About Getting and Spending. Her work has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, the Huffington Post, USA Today, Scientific American, and Reader’s Digest, among other publications. She lives outside Philadelphia with her husband and their three children.