Get up earlier

Like most entrepreneurs, I’m always fascinated to read about the personal habits and business maxims of top-flight business people.

So I’ve been flicking through a new book by a Rich List member, Maha Sinnathamby, called Stop Not Till the Goal is Reached.

It’s a bit of a weird book in that it’s partly a biography – telling about his rise from poor immigrant to a property developer with an $820 million fortune – and partly a self-help book, built around Sinnathamby’s 10 rules for life.

One key rule is “arise, awake and stop not till the goal is reached”. Within the explanation of this rule, Sinnathamby reveals he gets up each morning at 4am in order to attack the day and buy himself some more time.

It’s a simple and pretty smart productivity idea – give yourself more time in the day by giving yourself an extra hour or two.

Sure, 4am sounds a little extreme to me too, but 5.30am or 6am is a bit more manageable. Set the time aside for something specific, like the gym session you’ve been meaning to tackle or the fun run training you’ve been meaning to do. Even buying time to read the papers (or the iPad) could be beneficial.

Get it done – today!