For quality, uninterrupted me-only time, get up early

Piyush Mathur is an early riser irrespective of time, place or situation. He manages to beat the alarm on most days and stops it way before it’s scheduled to ring at 5.10am. Mathur, 34, who is based in Gurugram, is the chairman and founder of Hielo Beverages India Pvt. Ltd, which makes premium range of beverages under the Peaur brand name.

Early school reporting and active participation in NCC (National Cadet Corps), swimming and other outdoor activities made him an early riser right from his childhood days. The morning vibe fills him with positivity, and waking up early helps him think clearly, says Mathur. It helps him to establish his vision and mission for the day, thus helping him set actionable goals.

Mathur uses early morning hours in different ways: Sometimes he cycles (not when it’s really cold and windy), surfs the internet, goes on a long drive as it helps him think better, chats with old friends who are early risers like him, or updates his knowledge on the latest happening in the technology world and their practical applications.

“I like to indulge in different activities everyday as this expands the scope of learning. I am a curious person by nature, and find it very monotonous to do the same stuff every morning," he says.

On some days, Mathur just goes walking as he believes that this re-energizes him and helps him evolve better strategies. “An empty head (in the mornings) is the best time to take decisions and turning ideas into doable plans that have a better scope to turn real," he says. He believes that this is “I, my, me time", and he must spend it minus any agenda. “My only intention is to rejuvenate, learn, relax, and just be happy in the morning. As that makes for a happy day ahead," he says.

The payback

Mathur believes that self-improvisation and self-criticism are the best tutors in life. “Early morning sunlight is the best gift you can give yourself. This is ‘my quality’ and gadget-free time. It puts me in the right frame of mind for the day ahead," he says. “Not only do I gain an hour or two’s advantage over colleagues, this quiet time is the most productive during the day. Without interruptions, I am able to plan and spend some quality time on my top priorities. For me, the heavy thinking and processing comes in these quiet hours," he says.

This especially comes in handy on days where the meetings stack up back-to-back as it gives him that initial think-time to prepare and organize for the day ahead. Waking up early also helps Mathur spend some time with his four-year-old daughter whose school bus arrives at 6.30am.

Morning ritual

Mathur says the first thing he does every morning is jot down the short-term goals for the day. Running a business is a challenge, so one must learn the art to convert weaknesses into strengths. A thought well-planned early in the day is a thought well-executed through the course of the day.

So, Mathur starts his day by checking his social media updates, browses through his emails and replies to the texts that he missed responding to the day before. He also reads his newspapers every morning, a childhood habit that has stuck on.

The waking hours

Mathur gets inspired from a lot of people who start their day early. His father was an early riser and watching him made Mathur an early riser too.“I have also crossed paths with many winners from all walks of life and they are all morning people too. Waking up early, I feel, is a habit worth developing, as the payback is amazing," he says.

The Morning Diary is a series where leaders tell us how waking up early has made a positive impact.