Before Breakfast Don't wait until after work
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May 12, 2026 A case for reclaiming mornings to protect personal priorities when work runs long. A critique of 9-to-9 six-day schedules and why hours beyond ~50 have diminishing returns. Practical ideas for using pre-work time: exercise, family breakfast, walks, reading, and creative work. Concrete tips on scheduling mornings so you still feel like you have a life.
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Do Personal Priorities Before Work
- Do use mornings for personal priorities instead of waiting until after work.
- Laura Vanderkam recommends shifting exercise, social time, or creative work to the 6–9 a.m. window when evenings are taken by long work hours.
Long Hours Yield Diminishing Returns
- Long hours produce diminishing returns past about 50 weekly hours, so extra time rarely means higher-quality output.
- Vanderkam uses the 996 tech schedule example to show that being at the office 72 hours a week rarely equals 72 hours of quality work.
Flip Evenings Into Morning Blocks
- Try flipping evening activities to morning slots when your workday runs into typical evening hours.
- Vanderkam suggests exercising, having family breakfast, meeting a friend, or doing creative work between 6 and 9 a.m. before a 9 a.m. start.