· 2 min read
illuminem summarises for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on The Wall Street Journal or enjoy below:
🗞️ Driving the news: The extreme early-morning wake-up, once the hallmark of elite CEOs like Disney's Bob Iger and Apple's Tim Cook, is now entering mainstream American culture
• A viral video featuring Ashton Hall’s unconventional 3:55 a.m. routine — involving mouth taping, ice baths with bottled Saratoga water, and banana peel facials — has sparked broader public fascination with hyper-optimized mornings
🔭 The context: Traditionally, early rising has been portrayed as a cornerstone of success among business leaders and productivity influencers, symbolizing discipline and ambition
• However, the trend now reflects a broader societal fixation on self-optimization and the entrepreneurial ethos, as discussed by Erik Baker in Make Your Own Job, which critiques how these work habits contribute to personal exhaustion
🌍 Why it matters for the planet: While personal productivity trends may seem removed from environmental issues, the normalization of hyper-consumption — such as bottled water for ice baths — highlights a deeper tension between lifestyle choices and sustainability
• It underscores the need to align personal wellness practices with environmental consciousness
⏭️ What's next: As extreme morning routines continue to gain visibility on social media, businesses may increasingly market products catering to these trends, raising questions about their environmental impact
• Wellness experts and sustainability advocates are likely to push for more mindful, eco-friendly approaches to personal development
💬 One quote: “There’s almost a kind of arms race between different executives and self-styled business leaders over who can claim the highest average workload.” — Erik Baker, historian and author
📈 One stat: According to a 2024 Deloitte survey, 58% of U.S. professionals report feeling pressure to engage in extreme productivity routines, up from 41% in 2020
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