Ryan Serhant starts work at 4:30 a.m.—he says most people don’t achieve their dreams because ‘what they really want is just to be lazy’

January 31, 2026 - 21:04

Real estate mogul and television personality Ryan Serhant operates on a schedule that would make most people shudder, beginning his workday at 4:30 a.m. He attributes his monumental success not to luck, but to a rigorous personal philosophy that treats every minute with the value of a dollar.

In a candid assessment of common career pitfalls, Serhant suggests that many individuals fall short of their aspirations due to a fundamental lack of honesty and discipline. He argues that the often-cited struggle for work-life balance is frequently a smokescreen. The core issue, according to Serhant, is that people often "lie to themselves" about their true level of commitment, conflating a desire for achievement with an underlying preference for comfort.

"What they really want is just to be lazy," Serhant states, challenging the common narrative. He posits that genuine dream-chasing requires an uncompromising work ethic and a rejection of excuses. For him, the pre-dawn hours are non-negotiable, providing a critical window for strategic planning and focused effort before the world wakes up. This extreme discipline, he insists, is the foundation upon which extraordinary goals are built, separating mere wishes from tangible results. His message is clear: extraordinary success demands extraordinary routine and self-awareness.