To be successful in life, you need to take advantage of your mornings. That’s the gist of a new book called What The Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast, by Laura Vanderkam. She recently surveyed some of North America’s top executives, and she found that what separates highly successful people from the rest of the pack is what they do in the first few hours of every day.

Why? First, a new University of Toronto study found that morning people tend to be happier, healthier, and generally more satisfied with life than “night owls.” Plus, Vanderkam says if you always wait until the end of the day to do meaningful things - like exercise, or spend quality time with your family – then it probably won’t happen.

That’s why many experts say mornings hold the key to taking control of our lives.

So, how can you make the most of your mornings to be successful?

• First: Picture the perfect morning for YOU. Think of how you spend a weekend morning, and that’ll guide you. For some people, the perfect morning includes time for meditation, exercise, or eating breakfast as a family. Whatever you choose, your morning ritual will set the tone for the day. Because when you’re rushing to get up and get ready for work, you’re starting your day with stress. But if you get up and exercise, for example, you’re starting the day with a clearer head.

• Next: Vanderkam says ask yourself what needs to happen to make that schedule a reality? In fact, she recommends writing down everything you do during the day, to see if there are things you can change to make it easier to go to bed earlier at night, and wake up earlier. 

• Then, start building the habit. Vanderkam says gradually shift your schedule - by going to bed a few minutes earlier at a time, and using those minutes in the morning to start doing something for yourself. 

Want to go further? The book is called What The Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast, by Laura Vanderkam.