A few weeks ago, my wife and I were on vacation in San Francisco. We had an ambitious schedule so we arrived to pick up our rental car for the trip early in the morning. The lady working the counter tossed us the keys and proclaimed: “You’re in luck… this is our last car.” She went on to tell us that several groups were due in shortly and they wouldn’t behave cars available for 3 to 4 hours!
Yikes! A delay that long would have nuked our vacation plans. How lucky were we?
Upon reflection; however, it seems this wasn’t an isolated incident. The common thread between this “lucky” event and several others was a supremely simple hack…
Being Early
I love to look back on my personal experiences to see what works or doesn’t work for me. I am interested in seeing if any patterns or traits emerge that can be replicated in the future. In particular, I look for traits that don’t require special knowledge or a high IQ. Traits anyone can adopt.
In the past I’ve discussed a few such traits:
I’ve been wondering if there were any other habits I was missing.
Fast forward to this past weekend and our trip to Rocky Mountain National Park, we had set out to hike some mountain trails. The parking areas at the trailheads are notorious for filling up early in the summer months. There is a shuttle bus service, but it can add hours to your trip. We popped out of bed and beat feet to arrive at the trailhead just after 7 am. We snagged one of the last spots. Enabling us to take in some fantastic views, without losing a couple precious hours trying to catch a shuttle.
With the San Francisco incident still fresh in our minds combined with the success in parking at the trailhead, I knew I had it. Being early has consistently worked out very well for me.
You may have heard this line before:
Be First, Be Smarter, or Cheat
John Tuld (Jeremy Irons) in Margin Call
I don’t advocate cheating and I don’t think I am particularly smart. But even a caveman, such as myself, can be first (early). If you can set an alarm, you can master this hack.
Besides the obvious benefit of taking advantage of scarce resources, like rental cars, or parking spaces in my examples above, being early can offer other advantages.
Reducing Stress
Giving a presentation, having a meeting, traveling, or trying to get to a sporting event. These events cause me stress. I often worry, irrationally, about logistical issues popping up at the last second. The more complicated the event, the bigger the wreck I am beforehand. By showing up early, I feel I am doing my best to mitigate this risk.
Last week I had some free time before I had to catch a flight. Instead of hanging around the house with nervous anticipation worrying about parking in the right spot, catching the right shuttle, checking in, getting through security, etc. etc., I headed to the airport a bit earlier than usual. I was rewarded by being one of two people in the security line. Two people! I still can’t believe it. It set a laid back tone for the rest of the trip.
Left to my own devices, I would probably forget meetings, or show up late. It is absolutely critical for me to use a calendar app to help protect myself from myself. When I set a calendar event, I try to remember that travel time is more than just how many minutes Google Maps shows you. I need to find a parking space, walk to the building, find the correct office or location, and connect with the people I am there to meet. Additionally, good Ol’ Murphy can throw some wrenches into your plans with traffic jams, bad weather, etc.. How easy is it to lose 10 minutes in traffic?
Opportunity to Adapt, Iterate, and Overcome
Sometimes my usually irrational fears come true and shit actually hits the fan. I remember two instances this year where I showed up for a work meeting only to find the meeting location was changed. On another occasion I forgot to bring the thumb drive with my PowerPoint to a client meeting. By showing up early I was able to redirect and make the meetings on time and found a way to download the presentation.
I write a lot of reports in my job as a consultant. Being early offers a chance to iterate before submitting a final work product. Getting a report in front of a reviewer early allows us time to ensure we have everything covered. If something’s off, we have an opportunity to get it right. Getting info to a client early can help identify their pain points and tease out opportunities to add value.
Establish Momentum
I like to start my day early, usually getting up just after 5 am and taking the dog for a walk before I hit the shower and dress for work. By getting in some exercise, I’ve gotten an early “win” for the day. I then have enough time to pack a healthy lunch, rather than buy it. This helps me slim my waistline, fatten my wallet, and sets me up to have a productive day.
I get into the office at 7 am which is earlier than many of my clients. This allows me to get on top of any simmering issues first thing, so that I am prepared with answers for my clients as soon as they get in.
It’s much easier to keep doing the right things and being productive, when you already have multiple wins before 8 am. As an example, if you’ve been eating healthy the whole day, it is much easier to eat a healthy dinner, than if you ate a bunch of junk food due to lack of preparation.
I can hear some of you asking: “Getting up at 5 am? I thought you said this was an easy hack?”
I said simple, not to be confused with easy. Like any other habit, it takes time for you to establish it and it won’t necessarily feel great at first. During the transition stage, I recommend reminding yourself each day about how getting up early helped you that day. Focus on the benefits. This should help you push through the discomfort of adjusting your schedule.
So set those alarms and start taking advantage of this powerful trait!
