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What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast: And Two Other Short Guides to Achieving More at Work and at Home Paperback – August 27, 2013

by Laura Vanderkam (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 375 ratings
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Three powerful mini e-books about high productivity, now together in paperback
 
Laura Vanderkam has combined her three popular mini e-books into one comprehensive guide, with a new introduction. It will help readers build habits that lead to happier, more productive lives, despite the pressures of their busy schedules. Trough interviews and anecdotes, she reveals . . .
  • What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast—to jump-start the day productively.
  • What the Most Successful People Do On the Weekend—to recharge and prepare for a great week.
  • What the Most Successful People Do at Work—to accomplish more in less time.
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    192 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Portfolio
  4. Publication date
    August 27, 2013
  5. Dimensions
    5.08 x 0.5 x 7.7 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1591846692
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1591846697
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Laura Vanderkam is also the author of 168 Hours and All the Money in the World. Her work has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, CBS’s MoneyWatch, USA Today, and Fortune, among others. She lives outside Philadelphia.
 
Visit www.lauravanderkam.com

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Portfolio; Reprint edition (August 27, 2013)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 192 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1591846692
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1591846697
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 5.6 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.08 x 0.5 x 7.7 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 375 ratings

About the author

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Laura Vanderkam

Laura Vanderkam

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Laura Vanderkam is the author of several time management and productivity books, including Off the Clock, I Know How She Does It, What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast, and 168 Hours.

Her 2016 TED talk, "How to Gain Control of Your Free Time," has been viewed more than 5 million times. She regularly appears in publications including the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, and Fortune. She is the co-host, with Sarah Hart-Unger, of the podcast Best of Both Worlds.

She lives outside Philadelphia with her husband and four children, and blogs at LauraVanderkam.com.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
375 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Alysha
5.0 out of 5 stars Unlocking the Secrets to Morning Mastery
Reviewed in the United States on March 19, 2024
Verified Purchase
I have never been much of a morning person, but after reading this book I was inspired. A game-changer for anyone seeking to optimize their mornings and supercharge their productivity. The authors insightful exploration into the habits of highly successful individuals offers actionable advice and inspiration.

Vanderkam shares the morning routines of successful people into digestible nuggets of wisdom, making it easy for readers to implement these strategies into their own lives. From time management techniques to mindset shifts, each chapter is filled with practical tips and actionable steps that can be tailored to fit any lifestyle.

The writing style is engaging and relatable, making the book a joy to read from start to finish. Her anecdotes and real-life examples bring the concepts to life, illustrating how small changes in morning habits can lead to significant improvements in productivity and overall well-being.

One of the most valuable aspects of the book is its emphasis on intentionality and self-awareness. By encouraging readers to reflect on their own priorities and design a morning routine that aligns with their goals.

In summary, "What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast" is a must-read for anyone looking to unlock the secrets of morning mastery. Whether you're a seasoned entrepreneur or someone just starting on their journey to personal development, this book offers invaluable insights that can transform your mornings—and ultimately, your life.

Book arrived quickly and in good condition, will be keeping this in my collection.
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Chris
5.0 out of 5 stars It's a great message, and a great read
Reviewed in the United States on July 23, 2016
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This book in a nutshell: Wake up early and use that morning time to do something that enriches your life. The magic of this advice comes not in the words of the book, but in the dispositional change it suggests.
The book's central thesis: you have the power to change your life. What this book is doing, in a succinct and marvelous way, is intimating a reference group that you can be a part of if you desire. Movers, shakers, successful people-- all of them, the book claims, use the morning hours to advance something important to them.
There are a lot of concrete suggestions in this small ebook for managing your new routine, but it all comes down to making those morning rituals a habit. However, WHAT THE MOST SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE DO BEFORE BREAKFAST is not only for morning people. Vanderkam talks a lot about getting up early, but truly, it’s not about when you rise, but how you prioritize your day. It’s about using those first hours productively, whether they come before dawn or not. This is the dispositional change that can truly impact your life. It's a great message, and a great read. Had a cup of coffee and a biscotti and finished the book before I knew it!
43 people found this helpful
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Ian Mann
4.0 out of 5 stars The common reason for not rising early cited by “night people” is that they do their best work then
Reviewed in the United States on April 12, 2017
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In this slim, but practical ebook, time management author and trainer Laura Vanderkam has put together some gems on how to get the most out of mornings and, as a consequence, the rest of your day.
Mornings hold the key to taking control of our schedules, full stop. Drawing on anecdotes from some well-known American executives and solid scientific research Venderkam provides a compelling case for altering the way we start our day.
Studies show that most Americans, across age groups, get up at about 6 a.m. The time between waking and starting work is spent herding children towards the door for school, tidying up, personal grooming, commuting and so on.
From a study of the time logs and profiles of high-achieving people Vanderkam reports that former CEO of Pepsico, Steve Reinemund is up at 5 a.m., goes for a 4-mile run, prays and eats breakfast with his family before going to run a Fortune 500 Company. James Citrin, head of Spencer Stuart is also exercising at 6:00 and then spends time in quiet time to consider the day ahead. Citrin did a survey of the morning rituals of executives he admired to find that the latest any of them was up regularly was 6 a.m. Successful people have their priorities clear and early mornings are the time when they have most control over their schedules. But that is probably true for all of us.
We can divide the world up into “night people” and “morning people.” Both groups have only 168 hours each week, but not all hours are equally suited to all things. The common reason for not rising early cited by “night people” is that they do their best work then. There is little scientific evidence that this is true.
Professor Roy Baumeister has spent his career studying self-discipline (I reviewed his book in this paper earlier this year,) and has found a direct correlation between fatigue and self-discipline. “Diets are broken in the evening, not the morning. The majority of impulsive crimes are committed after 11:00 p.m. Lapses in drug use, alcohol abuse, sexual misbehaviour… tend to come about late in the day.”
In the early hours of the day we have enough will-power and energy to tackle things that require internal motivation, and that are rarely rewarded immediately. Baumeister also proved that once something is a routine or habit, it requires very little self-discipline to continue. Applied to the argument of this book, people who turn high value tasks into morning rituals conserve their energy for later battles.
What are the best morning habits? Vanderkam’s research showed that successful people use their mornings for nurturing their careers, nurturing their relationships, and nurturing themselves.
Nurturing your career can take the form of doing focused work, reading in your field, and thinking strategically about your projects or company, or planning the day. One executive is quoted as saying: Every day I have a job; in the morning I think I have a career.
To “nurture relationships” Vandekam advised one single mother to get to bed early so she can use her early mornings for Mommy-and-me time with her daughter before beginning her commute to work. What a beautiful way to start a day, giving your child your best, not what is left over of you at the end of the day. Much is made of the value of families having dinner together for the stability and moral growth of children. This surely true of pleasant breakfasts, too.
Statistics indicate that dual income couples can find only 12 minutes a day to talk to each other. Early mornings might go some way to address this relationship issue.
And then there is “nurturing yourself.” Most of the executives the author quotes use part of their early starts to exercise or do yoga – examples are Xerox’s Ursula Burns, Coors’ van Paasschen, Rodale’s Steve Murphy among others. These are incredibly busy people and they choose the mornings for their exercise routines possibly without knowing how beneficial exercise at this time of day really is. Stress hormones released on waking are counteracted by exercise, as is the blood glucose effects of high-fat diets, and so much more. People exercising in the morning are also more likely to stick to this routine with the heightened ability to apply self-discipline at this time.
Spiritual practices – praying, studying scripture or meditating were also found to be popular.
The inability to get to bed early enough to allow for an early rise because of the many chores that have to be done before going to bed, doesn’t hold up according to Vanderkam. In the same way that dieticians tell dieters to keep a food log, Vanderkam suggests that to know how you spend your time is best seen from actually tracking it. This involves jotting down what you are doing as you are doing it so you can reflect on exactly how you spend your time. It will become evident that much of the night time activity is unnecessary and of a far lower priority than what can be gained by the early start.
This is a practical guide that addresses many of the logistic and other complications that prevent one seizing the golden hours of the day. It will inspire you to rethink your morning routine and you will be so much better off for doing so.
Readability Light +---- Serious
Insights High --+-- Low
Practical High +---- Low

Ian Mann of Gateways consults internationally on leadership and strategy
78 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Jason
5.0 out of 5 stars motivational
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 4, 2024
Verified Purchase
Great read & great tips can’t wait to get going. Book has made me change my mornings. Made me feel very positive
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Ewa
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in Canada on April 30, 2018
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Fantastic book, has so much insightful and logical information that almost finished reading it in one day!
One person found this helpful
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Alfredo Escobar Molina
5.0 out of 5 stars Livre magnifique
Reviewed in France on August 17, 2018
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C'est exactement c'est qu'il faut lire... C'est le conseil plus l'explication et le résultat d'un processus qui démarre avec le fait de être contient de la réalité et améliorer petit a petit.
3 people found this helpful
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Max Langenbeck
2.0 out of 5 stars Guter Start, am Ende ernüchternd.
Reviewed in Germany on November 23, 2017
Verified Purchase
Das Buch lässt sich extrem einfach zusammenfassen: planen Sie ihre/n Tag/Woche und machen Sie wenig sinnloses.
Am Anfang etwas inspirierend, auf den letzten Seiten (die dann mit Tabellen vollgestopft sind) ist es nur noch ernüchternd.
Hatte es eigentlich wegen den guten Rezessionen aus Amerika gekauft.
Schade.
5 people found this helpful
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hemaadri
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Reviewed in India on December 21, 2014
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The book was very inspiring
It is very useful book
One person found this helpful
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