golden hour
1 habit to take back control
80% of adults and youth are out of shape. Most people are also unambitious and uninspired. Most people say they don’t have enough time to fix it. I’ve been there — In early college, I was the kid who complained about not having time to exercise (I had like 10 hours of free time per day).
100% of most people wish the opposite were true. Waking up and going straight to work, class, school, or even a social activity is the normal, yet most people don’t want to be normal — they want more. I did.
You know you want to be in better health.
You know you want to achieve more than you are.
You know you have a deep desire to learn and create something.
You know in order to do these things, you need more time on your hands.
To anyone who feels like they have no time—you’re absolutely right! Between work, classes, family, kids, and friends you don’t want to neglect, your plate is full. On top of that, you’re likely wasting what little free time you do have.
“Too tired.”
I feel you.
Going to the gym after work is terrible. There’s a trillion people there, you can’t get a machine. You’re lazy and the workout sucks anyway. More time.
Do you have the next brilliant “GoPro” idea? Good luck building that dream when you have to take your kid to practice. Need more time.
Trying to learn anything challenging at night doesn’t work either, even if you have the time. I’d rather turn my brain off and watch a movie too. Still — more time.
Whether you like it or not, the world is in motion between 7AM and 7PM. The world demands your energy. And in exchange for your energy, you’re giving up what? No shit Dante — time.
Well I have news for you, time isn’t given. It’s taken. You need to make it.
1 habit keeping you stuck.
1 habit to change your life.
1 habit to get your time back.
Wake up early.
The early morning is the only time in the day where you can take control. “But Dante, what about late at night?” Good luck reading more than a few pages of a book when you’ve been up for 16 hours. Obviously some people can make this work, but in my experience most people have so much more to give when they’re fresh.
I’ve been reflecting on a conversation between Chris Williamson and Alex Hormozi about “big bang” habits. These are transformative habits with powerful downstream effects, where changing just one thing triggers a cascade of positive changes. While they discussed going to bed on time, I see this as directly tied to waking up early—my favorite big bang habit (paired with exercise).
Why does waking up early work? Here’s my thinking:
Fewer distractions
Better focus
Better sleep
Your time
Fewer Distractions:
No one is awake to bother you—your kids are asleep, your dog isn’t begging to go out, and there are no rogue emails, Instagram DMs, or group chats to derail you. It’s just you, your brain, and the silence.
Better Focus:
Fewer distractions mean better focus, but there’s more to it than that. After a full day, your brain is often fried—overstimulated and scattered. In the morning, your mind is fresh, your nervous system is calm, and you can channel your undistracted energy into whatever matters most.
Better Sleep:
Waking up early forces you to be disciplined about bedtime. Regular sleep schedules—going to bed and waking up at the same time daily—are proven to improve sleep quality. Yes, it means sacrificing late-night “garbage hours” spent scrolling TikTok, texting, or watching TV, but those hours aren’t doing you any favors anyway.
Your Time
This is your time—use it however you like! While it’s best to use it constructively (exercise, reading, writing, meditating), the beauty is that it’s your choice. For a while, I spent this time watching my favorite shows because I felt too drained after work to enjoy them. Now, I use it more productively, but the principle remains the same: waking up early gives you energy and freedom to focus on you.
I promise—waking up and doing something for yourself feels infinitely better than waking up and immediately doing something for someone else, whether it’s work, school, or even brunch.
Again, yes, you probably have free time at the end of the day, but let’s be honest—you’re too tired to use it constructively. So make a shift. Will you miss the occasional late-night social event? Maybe—but how often do those really happen during the week? Your kids likely don’t stay up that late, and if they do, they’re probably old enough to get themselves out the door. I’m sure there’s 1000 rebuttals, but to make a change in your life, shockingly, you need to make a change.
At 5 AM, you’re in the driver’s seat. Sure, it sucks at first, but it will become a habit—a habit you’ll grow to love. For me, it’s the most grounding part of my day. It’s quiet, it’s peaceful, and it’s mine. I look forward to it every single morning.
Picture this — complete silence, warm coffee, candle freshly lit, lamps dimmed, feet up. Now what? Finally, that’s up to you.
Regain control of your life by waking up early, you won’t regret it.
Thank you for reading.
-Dante
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