Guess what Jack Welch, Gordon Brown, Adi Godrej and Dr Manmohan Singh have in common?

They are all early risers. In fact, if you read about the lives of successful people, you will most likely find a common thread: they get up early. It's a habit that's worked wonderfully well for all of them. And it could work like magic for you too.If there was one habit - one single habit - that could make a huge impact on your life, it would have to be this. Wake up early!

You've probably heard how every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up knowing it must run faster than the fastest lion, or it will be killed. And every morning, a lion wakes up knowing it must run faster than the slowest gazelle, or else it will starve to death. The moral of the story is simple. It doesn't matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle. When the sun comes up, you'd better be up and running!

If you are serious about achieving something meaningful in your life, take the first step. Get up early. Starting tomorrow, wake up one hour earlier than your usual time.Imagine. If you got up one hour earlier than you currently do, it would give you an extra 365 productive hours in a year. That's like getting nine extra weeks at work. You could read a book, work on your fitness, or spend time by yourself or with a loved one. What difference would that make to your career, your health, your life?

The benefits of joining the Early Risers Club are many. And it's not only about the extra time you create for yourself. The real power is in the message it sends out to your mind. By waking up early, you are telling yourself that you are serious about achieving your goals. And that you are willing to pay the price.Getting up early gives you the confidence to go after all your other goals. You have both the physical energy and the mental strength to chase your dreams. The discipline and the will power that help you get up early will also help you achieve a lot else in life.