Jim Cramer, host of CNBC’s “Mad Money” and co-anchor of “Squawk on the Street,” tailors his morning routine for optimal success. He starts by waking up at 3 a.m.
To the average person, “this is going to sound extreme,” he says. But waking up early allows him to get much of his work done before appearing on Squawk on the Street, which airs at 9 a.m. Monday through Friday.
“I have a kind of, at this point, legendary routine. I get up at 3:15 [a.m.], and I work out with a trainer. And I do a lot of writing for Mad Money between, say, five and 6:30,” Cramer says.
He uses the additional time before appearing on live television to do research for Squawk on the Street and prepare for CNBC Investing Club’s morning meeting, he says.
That’s why Cramer’s No. 1 tip to build a foundation for success is to “set your alarm for 15 minutes earlier every single week till you get to around 3:30, four [a.m.],” he says. “Then you’ll have a real edge over everybody else.”Â
Set your alarm for 15 minutes earlier every single week.
Jim Cramer
Host of CNBC’s “Mad Money with Jim Cramer”
Research shows that getting out of bed before the sun rises can positively impact your ability to focus and improve your memory and creativity.
Cramer’s 3 a.m. wake-up is a practice he developed when he was working at Goldman Sachs, he says. At the time, he’d get up at 3:30 a.m. each day, and was at his desk by four to work. That set him apart from his co-workers, he says.
“My best piece of career advice has to do with what I did at Goldman Sachs. I knew that everyone was really smart at Goldman Sachs,” Cramer says.
“I knew they were smarter than I, but I knew I could outwork them. And what I did was set my alarm 15 minutes early every week till I got to about 3:30. And you can train yourself.”
He admits that his early-morning wake-ups come at a cost. Taping for Mad Money is usually between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m., and after a break for dinner, he goes “right back” to researching for the next day.
“I went to bed at 11:00 last night after doing my work. During earnings season, I probably go to 12 [a.m.],” he says.
“I know that’s not the amount of sleep I should get, but I have to deliver a quality product to my bosses, who are the viewers.”
The amount of sleep that people need each night to feel rested varies from person to person, according to Shelby Harris, licensed clinical psychologist and director of sleep health at Sleepopolis. Still, Harris doesn’t recommend getting less than six hours of sleep a night.
“There’s a range, between seven to nine hours, sometimes as little as six,” Harris told CNBC Make It in 2022. “It doesn’t have to be that magic eight. If someone’s a good sleeper at seven hours, forcing yourself to try and get eight, could actually make it worse.”
Getting adequate sleep can strongly affect your levels of productivity, Harris said: “The more you sleep at night and prioritize rest, the more efficient you’ll be in your day to do the things you need to do.”
“My work-life balance is a little absurd, and I’d say somewhat costly to a lot of other parts of your life, but when you’re younger, that’s when you got to,” Cramer says.
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