What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast by Laura Vanderkam Summary

What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast by Laura Vanderkam explores how high achievers maximize mornings to accomplish personal and professional goals. The book emphasizes strategic time management, using early hours for exercise, family time, or skill-building. Vanderkam supports her claims with real-world examples and research, arguing that mornings offer peak willpower for habit formation.

This book suits busy professionals, parents, and self-improvement enthusiasts seeking to optimize productivity. It’s ideal for those struggling to balance work and personal goals, offering actionable strategies for leveraging overlooked morning hours. Vanderkam’s advice is particularly valuable for remote workers or entrepreneurs structuring their days.

Yes—the book provides concise, research-backed tactics for reclaiming mornings. Readers praise its practicality, with frameworks like prioritizing “important but not urgent” tasks early. At under 100 pages, it’s a quick read with high ROI for time-crunched individuals.

Vanderkam advocates three core strategies:

• Morning control: Tackle high-priority tasks before 9 AM
• Willpower management: Use mornings for tasks requiring discipline
• Habit stacking: Build routines around existing behaviors
  These methods help readers achieve fitness, career, or creative goals.

She combines academic studies with interviews of CEOs, artists, and parents. Examples include a CEO training for marathons at 5 AM and a writer drafting novels before school drop-offs. This blend of data and storytelling makes the case relatable.

Some argue Vanderkam’s advice assumes privileged flexibility in work schedules. Critics note not all jobs allow morning autonomy, and her examples skew toward high-income professionals. However, she offers adaptable principles for varying circumstances.

Unlike broader productivity books, it specifically targets mornings as a leverage point. While Atomic Habits focuses on incremental change, Vanderkam’s work prioritizes strategic time-blocking. Her podcast Before Breakfast extends these concepts with daily tips.

Notable lines include:

• “Mornings hold the key to taking control of our schedules.”
• “Willpower is like a muscle—strongest when fresh.”
  These emphasize proactive habit-building and aligning tasks with energy levels.

Absolutely. Vanderkam’s 2020 book The New Corner Office expands on remote work tactics, but this title’s morning framework applies directly. Suggestions like designating a “first hour” focus task combat home-office distractions.

With hybrid work models prevailing, mastering self-directed schedules remains crucial. The principles align with trends like “chronoworking” (matching tasks to biological peaks) and AI-assisted calendar optimization. Vanderkam’s core message—intentional time use—adapts to technological shifts.

Common examples from the book include:

• 20-minute high-intensity workouts
• Strategic family meals or conversations
• Deep work sessions on passion projects
  These rituals create momentum for the day.

The expanded edition includes sections on weekends, advising “strategic recharging” through planned adventures or skill-building. Vanderkam argues weekends shouldn’t be wasted—thoughtful leisure prevents Monday burnout and enhances creativity.