There was an article in the British Sunday Telegraph a few months ago. If you're not familiar with this newspaper, it's the UK Conservative Party's Pravda. It ran an article with the headline: “What All Successful People Have in Common—They Get Up Very Early!”

It struck me as a sweeping statement—as well as condescending—to say the least. Partly because I was also familiar with the Bukowski quote, plus the lifestyles of many other writers, musicians and painters.

Keith Richards, for example, rarely used to get up before five in the afternoon. Van Gogh certainly didn't get up early. And Honoré Balzac used to get up at midnight and start writing at one in the morning. Whether that's classed as getting up very early or very late, I'll let you decide. But it clearly worked: the guy wrote close to ninety novels and countless plays.

Was Balzac in the Sunday Telegraph article. Of course not. He died in 1850. But even if he had been alive, he wouldn't have been in it anyway. Because the Telegraph article was populated by start-up entrepreneurs, business moguls, politicians, tycoons, and bankers.

Not one painter, artist, or writer. Clearly, they didn't have enough cash in the bank to be included in the Telegraph's all star list of early risers.

I agree with John, though, everyone has their rhythms, and you should never take notice of the early morning brigade. Rule #1: Live your own life.