In a world drowning in snooze buttons and late-night Netflix binges, the ancient practice of rising early has become a revolutionary act. Ryan Holiday’s Discipline Is Destiny: The Power of Self-Control opens with a compelling chapter about attacking the dawn, revealing why successful people throughout history have been early risers and why this single habit might unlock your potential.
Why Early Rising Matters More Than You Think
The practice of waking early is not just about productivity. It is about taking control of your life before the world makes demands on your time. As Holiday writes in Discipline Is Destiny, successful people from Marcus Aurelius to modern CEOs have used the early morning hours as their competitive advantage.
Early rising creates a domino effect of positive behaviors throughout your day. When you wake early, you give yourself time to exercise, plan, think, and prepare before the chaos of daily life begins. This proactive approach to your morning sets the tone for how you will handle everything that follows.
The military understands this principle well. As Holiday notes, there is a reason why boot camps begin before dawn. It is not punishment, but preparation. Starting your day early forces you to be disciplined, focused, and intentional about your time.
The Science Behind Morning Excellence
Research consistently shows that our willpower and decision-making abilities are strongest in the morning. This biological reality means that tackling your most important tasks early gives you the best chance of success. By the time afternoon rolls around, decision fatigue has set in, making it harder to maintain discipline and focus.
Morning hours offer something precious in our hyper-connected world: uninterrupted time. Before emails flood your inbox, before meetings fill your calendar, before family members need your attention, there is a window of possibility. Holiday emphasizes in Discipline Is Destiny that this quiet time is when great work happens.
The psychological benefits extend beyond productivity. Early risers report higher levels of satisfaction, better mood regulation, and increased feelings of control over their lives. When you win the morning, you are more likely to win the day.
Historical Figures Who Attacked the Dawn
Holiday fills Discipline Is Destiny with examples of historical figures who made early rising a cornerstone habit. Benjamin Franklin famously asked himself each morning, What good shall I do this day? before the sun had fully risen. The Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, despite having absolute power, maintained the discipline of rising early for decades.
Modern examples abound as well. Apple CEO Tim Cook starts his day at 3:45 AM. Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz wakes at 4:30 AM. These are not random coincidences. They are strategic choices made by people who understand that discipline is destiny.
What these figures share is not superhuman genetics or extraordinary willpower. It is a commitment to a habit that compounds over time. As Holiday argues, discipline in one area of life tends to spread to others. Master your morning, and you are more likely to master your career, health, and relationships.
How to Actually Become an Early Riser
The transition to early rising does not require heroic overnight changes. Holiday advocates for gradual adjustments and sustainable systems. Start by setting your alarm just 15 minutes earlier than usual. Once that becomes comfortable, move it another 15 minutes. This incremental approach prevents the shock that causes most people to abandon their early rising goals.
Preparation is everything. Lay out your workout clothes the night before. Have your coffee maker ready. Remove obstacles between your sleeping self and your morning routine. As Discipline Is Destiny emphasizes, discipline is not about suffering. It is about making the right behaviors easier and the wrong ones harder.
Your evening routine matters just as much as your morning one. If you are staying up until midnight scrolling social media, no alarm clock will help you. Holiday stresses that early rising begins with early sleeping. Create an evening wind-down routine that signals to your body it is time to rest.
Avoid the temptation to use weekends as a reset. The body thrives on consistency. While an occasional late morning will not derail you, making it a weekly habit will undermine your progress. Discipline means doing what needs to be done even when you do not feel like it.
What to Do With Your Morning Hours
Having extra morning time is worthless if you waste it on trivial activities. Holiday suggests using this time for activities that require your best thinking: writing, strategic planning, exercise, meditation, or learning. These are investments in yourself that pay dividends throughout the day.
Many successful people follow what is called a miracle morning routine combining several growth activities: physical exercise, meditation or prayer, reading, journaling, and goal visualization. The specific activities matter less than the intention of using your peak mental hours for peak activities.
Avoid checking email or social media first thing. As Discipline Is Destiny warns, starting your day by responding to others priorities means you have already lost control of your time. Protect your morning like a fortress. Let it be your time, not time stolen by the demands of the world.
Overcoming the Common Obstacles
The biggest obstacle to early rising is not the alarm clock. It is your evening self sabotaging your morning self. Every late-night episode you watch is a vote against your morning goals. Holiday writes about the importance of seeing your future self as someone deserving of your current consideration.
Cold weather, dark mornings, and comfortable beds will test your resolve. This is where the principle of discipline is destiny becomes real. Anyone can wake up early when it is easy. The person you become is determined by what you do when it is hard.
If you live with others, communicate your new routine and ask for support. Having accountability, whether from a workout partner, family member, or online community, dramatically increases your success rate. Discipline does not mean going it alone.
The Compound Effect of Morning Discipline
Here is the remarkable truth about attacking the dawn: if you wake just one hour earlier each day, you gain 365 extra hours per year, equivalent to nine full workweeks. Imagine what you could accomplish with nine extra weeks dedicated to your most important goals.
But the benefits extend far beyond simple math. As Holiday emphasizes throughout Discipline Is Destiny, discipline in one area creates momentum in all areas. The person who conquers their alarm clock is building the mental muscle to conquer procrastination, resist temptation, and push through difficulty.
Early rising becomes a daily referendum on who you want to be. Each morning you choose: Will you be someone who does hard things, or someone who takes the easy path? Will you control your day, or let your day control you?
Making It Stick: Long-Term Success Strategies
Track your progress. Note how you feel on days when you wake early versus days when you do not. The correlation between early rising and daily success will become undeniable, providing motivation when willpower fails.
Celebrate small wins. After a week of successful early rising, acknowledge your progress. After a month, reflect on what you have accomplished with those extra morning hours. These milestones matter.
Remember that perfection is not the goal. Consistency is. If you miss a morning, do not use it as an excuse to quit. As Holiday writes in Discipline Is Destiny, the disciplined person is not someone who never fails. They are someone who gets back up quickly after falling.
Your Dawn Awaits
Attacking the dawn is not about becoming superhuman. It is about becoming more fully human. It is about claiming sovereignty over your time, your attention, and ultimately your destiny. Ryan Holiday’s Discipline Is Destiny makes clear that this single habit can be the fulcrum that moves your entire life.
Tomorrow morning, your alarm will ring. The choice you make in that moment, to rise or to snooze, is not trivial. It is a choice about who you are and who you are becoming. It is a choice about whether discipline or indulgence will shape your destiny.
The dawn is waiting. Will you attack it, or let it pass you by? Your future self is counting on the answer.
Discipline Is Destiny by Ryan Holiday: Complete Book Summary and Key Insights [2025]
