There is an old German proverb that I like:

The Early Morning Has Gold In Its Mouth

Think on that for a moment.  What does that really mean?

In my first post, One Habit to Rule Them All, I explained that by getting up early (i.e. at least an hour or more before you have to), you are creating an investment in yourself that pays dividends throughout your life. I talked about how arising early is like paying yourself first, how it takes advantage of biological cycles, how it gives you an edge, and how it changes where you focus.

I want to take a moment to go a little deeper on the power of changing your focus. Many of you may have run across the useful tool that Stephen Covey talks about in his influential book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. It’s a two-by-two matrix that plots “Urgent” vs “Not Urgent” against “Important” vs “Not Important.”  Actually Covey likely got it from Dwight Eisenhower the 34th President of the United States (good ideas just get passed around).  Eisenhower famously said:

What is important
is seldom urgent
and what is urgent
is seldom important.

I think it is a very useful way to assess how you spend your time.  Take a look and see what you would put into each quadrant.

Depending on your personality type (find out which type you are–it helps), you may be better or worse at doing the “important” things .  Diligent personalities who are almost always “on task,” (we hate these people) have no difficulty prioritizing what will help them in the future (Quadrant II) over the frivolous of the now (Quadrant IV).  However, the “free spirits” out there will recognize that quadrant IV has such a strong pull in the moment, that the things in quadrant II are always for “later.”  Unfortunately, later never comes, IT’S ALWAYS NOW (you see the problem).

Another interesting point is that the time of day heavily influences what you feel like doing.   Recent research shows that resisting temptations takes a mental toll, and that like a muscle, willpower can “fatigue” as the day progresses.  Is it any wonder then, that at the end of the day you have a harder time prioritizing Quadrant II activities?  Quadrant IV contains escapes and guilty pleasures.

Who wants to be diligent when you can veg in front of a screen?  Binging (Netflix) beats burpees.  Facebook fascinates more than finances.  Pinterest pleases more than planning.

So, why not be smart about this and trade 90 minutes at the end of the day for 90 minutes at the beginning?  At the start of the day, you are rested.  At the start of the day, your mind is clear.  At the start of the day, your willpower is at a peak.

Late night = Not Important/Not Urgent (Quadrant IV)

Early morning = Important/Not Urgent (Quadrant II)

If there were one single thing you could trade your time for in your life, I suggest it be this.

Imagine the difference in where you will be after 5, 10, or 20 years!  Based on the laws of compound interest (literally and figuratively), you will be “rich” in health, wealth, and wisdom.

This is my answer to why the early morning has gold in its mouth.

As a fun experiment, ask your spouse, kids, and/or friends at dinner tonight what they think this proverb means.  See if it starts some interesting discussions.

Additional Resources:

• The Procrastination Matrix – a lengthy, but entertaining view of why procrastinators have a hard time with Quadrant II.
• What you need to know about willpower – a short syopsis by the American Psychological Association

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Matt Morgan writes about how mastering one habit can be like pushing the power button on your life. Subscribe to his e-mail list (see button on the upper right) and follow him on Twitter and Facebook.