I am a morning person and the first task for me in the morning

Hear the words of Siddharth Shukla, whose discipline and strength were the foundation of his life: “I am a morning person and the first task for me in the morning is to hit the gym.” At first, these words seem but a simple habit, the routine of one man who loves the dawn. Yet within them lies a deeper wisdom, for they remind us that the way we greet the morning is the way we shape our destiny. To rise early, to face the day with discipline, to make the body strong before the world makes its demands—this is not a small choice, but the laying of a foundation for greatness.

The meaning of this saying is profound. To call oneself a morning person is to embrace the dawn, that sacred hour when the world is quiet and the spirit is unburdened. It is to understand that how we begin is how we shall continue. By choosing the gym as his first task, Shukla declares that strength—of body, mind, and will—is not an afterthought, but the cornerstone of his life. In the sweat of those early hours, he forged resilience, clarity, and balance, preparing himself for all that the day might bring.

The origin of such wisdom is ancient. The Romans spoke of “carpe diem”—seize the day—yet the wise knew that the seizing began not at midday but at sunrise. The Spartans rose before dawn to train, for they believed the morning belonged to warriors. Even the yogis of India greeted the first light with practice, breathing, and discipline. Across ages and civilizations, those who sought greatness understood the power of the morning and the sacredness of beginning the day with discipline. Shukla’s habit stands within this great lineage.

Consider the story of Benjamin Franklin, who each morning asked himself: “What good shall I do today?” Rising early, he ordered his life with discipline, giving his mornings to reflection and labor. It was this structure that allowed him to accomplish so much—science, statesmanship, invention, and writing. Like Shukla, Franklin knew that the morning was the wellspring of the day, and that to master it was to master life itself. Their examples teach us that strength begins in small, daily choices, repeated until they form destiny.

The lesson is clear: if you wish to shape your life, shape your mornings. Do not surrender them to idleness or distraction. Instead, dedicate them to what builds you—whether exercise, study, prayer, or craft. For the first task of the day sets the tone for all tasks to come. If your first act is discipline, your second will be strength, and your third will be victory. But if your first act is weakness, the day will follow in its shadow.

Practical actions must follow. Rise with the sun. Choose one noble practice as your first act: exercise to strengthen the body, meditation to still the mind, writing to focus the spirit. Guard this ritual as sacred, for it is the anchor of your day. If possible, let it involve effort, for in exertion there is clarity, and in clarity, peace. Just as Shukla hit the gym each morning, so too must you strike at the heart of lethargy with your first act of will.

And so, child of tomorrow, remember Siddharth Shukla’s teaching. The morning is the forge, and the gym is but a symbol of discipline. How you rise is how you live. Begin each day with intention, with strength, with a task that honors your body and your spirit. For those who master the morning, master the day—and those who master the day, master their lives. Let your dawns be holy, and your life shall shine with the brilliance of discipline and purpose.