Wake Up and Seize the Day | Stoic Saturdays

“At dawn, when you have trouble getting out of bed, tell yourself: “I have to go to work — as a human being. What do I have to complain of, if I’m going to do what I was born for — the things I was brought into the world to do? Or is this what I was created for? To huddle under the blankets and stay warm?” —Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 5.1

Before dawn, the world holds its breath. The streets are silent, the air is crisp, and for a brief moment, everything feels possible.

Marcus Aurelius, the most powerful man in the Roman Empire, understood this struggle. Like anyone else, he wanted to stay under the blankets, where it was warm and easy. But he reminded himself of his duty. “Is this what I was created for?” he asked. “To feel nice? To have it easy?” No. His purpose, like that of the birds, the bees, and the ants, was to rise and do the work that nature had assigned him.

Every morning, the emperor woke in the dark, often in a military camp rather than the grand palace in Rome. The cold air bit at his skin. His body ached from another night spent away from comfort. But he did not linger. Instead, he sat up, took a deep breath, and began his daily practice: journaling.

He wrote to himself—not to impress, not to publish, but to remind. In his Meditations, he recorded the thoughts that would carry him through the day. “At dawn, when you have trouble getting out of bed, tell yourself: ‘I have to go to work—as a human being. What do I have to complain about if I’m going to do what I was born for?’”

Then he dressed, ate a simple meal, and went to work. Work for an emperor was not leisurely; it was exhausting. He commanded armies, settled disputes, and led a vast empire. But the hardest battle was always the first one—the one against himself.

That same challenge confronts us every morning. The alarm clock buzzes, and we debate whether to hit snooze. The bed feels comfortable. The world can wait. But can it?

The Power of Early Mornings

Howard Schultz, the former CEO of 星巴克 , built a global empire on the foundation of disciplined mornings. Long before his coffee shops filled with customers, he was already up, moving, working. Mornings were his time to think, plan, and set the tone for the day ahead.

As a young man, Schultz didn’t have wealth or connections. He grew up in a working-class family in Brooklyn, watching his father struggle to make ends meet. That memory fueled him. He knew success wouldn’t come from waiting for the right moment—it would come from creating the right moment. And that started with getting up early.

His routine became a ritual. Up before sunrise, he worked out, cleared his head, and prepared for the day. “I get up between 4 and 4:30 every morning,” Schultz once said. “I get to work by 6 a.m. so I can think about the future without distractions.”

By the time his team arrived at the office, he had already laid the groundwork. That discipline shaped not just his career but an entire company that changed how the world drinks coffee.

Schultz didn’t wake up early because it was easy. He woke up early because he had to.

“While we wait for life, life passes.” —Seneca, On the Shortness of Life

You Are Not a "Morning Person"—No One Is

The truth? Waking up early is never easy. Even those who swear by it struggle. The military calls it “sleep discipline.” It’s a practice, not a personality trait.

My alarm goes off at 4:00 a.m. every day. Do I always get out of bed right away? No. Some mornings, I wrestle with that same hesitation Marcus Aurelius wrote about centuries ago. But by 6:00 a.m. at the latest, I am at my desk, working. Why? Because I have work to do. Because I know that if I don’t take control of my morning, the rest of the day will take control of me.

There’s something special about the early hours. The world is quiet. No emails flooding in. No text messages demanding attention. No calls, no meetings, no distractions. Just stillness. Just time. It’s a rare part of the day where everything slows down, and the only thing left is your own mind and whatever you choose to focus on.

Waking up early isn’t just about discipline—it’s about freedom. It frees up time later in the day for the things that matter. The things that make life enjoyable. Hiking. Playing with my dog. Being present with the people I care about. If I waste my morning, those moments get pushed aside, buried under a pile of unfinished work and distractions.

Schultz knew that energy fades as the day wears on. By night, distractions take over. By morning, the mind is untamed, full of promise.

Marcus Aurelius understood this as well. He knew that once he stepped into the day’s affairs—meetings, politics, war—his energy would be drained. He guarded his mornings because he knew they set the tone for everything that followed.

Discipline is the bridge. It’s not about deprivation but optimization. A well-rested person can do more in one focused morning hour than in an entire scattered afternoon. That’s why the best seize the early hours—they know how fleeting energy is.

A Challenge for You

Tomorrow morning, when your alarm goes off, you will face a choice. Stay in bed, warm and comfortable, or rise and take control of your day. One choice leads to stagnation—the other to progress.

The world will still be quiet. No emails. No texts. No distractions. Just you and the opportunity in front of you. What will you do with it?

Write. Train. Read. Think.

Use the time before the world wakes up. Make it yours. Make it sacred.

Howard Schultz built an empire before the sun rose. Marcus Aurelius led an empire before the first rays of daylight touched Rome. The greats do not waste their mornings—they claim them.

You don’t have to be a morning person. You just have to be a person who wants more from life.

So get up. Get after it. And don’t look back.

“You could leave life right now. Let that determine what you do and say and think.” —Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 2.11