Take Another Look at Your Early Morning Routine

Jim Citrin of executive search firm Spencer Stuart reports in his Yahoo column that, "the quiet of the morning is often the time when your mind is at its clearest and most well-suited to solving important problems."

Steve Murphy, CEO of publishing company Rodale, says, "A line in a William Blake poem inspired me to think differently about my day: ‘Think in the morning, act in the noon, read in the evening, and sleep at night.' This has made a huge difference in my life. Now, I take out a yellow pad every morning and write my thoughts for the day, which allows me to be much more strategic and proactive than reactive."

Jim also confrims that a successful day usually starts early in the morning. (What was that Ben Franklin said?) He found that of the 20 executives he questioned, the latest any of them wake up is 6am, and almost 80 percent wake up at 5:30 or earlier.