A few years ago I was talking to some friends and I realized that in my life I had seen far more sunsets than sunrises. There’s nothing wrong with that, but I always felt like I was missing out on some important hours of the day by getting up too late.
The mornings when I wake up early are usually spent running to get ready, without the time to notice what colors were throwing the morning sky or feel the morning wind.
So many successful people seem to have it all together, waking up at 5 in the morning and doing things while the rest of us sleep.
I’ve always wanted to change this about myself and wake up earlier to get more creative or spiritual time for myself in those magical, dark hours before dawn.
The problem I admit is that I have never really been a morning person. I am, however, a determined person, always looking for new ways to grow and learn, so I started making some changes to make myself a morning person!
If you’re anything like me, and getting up early doesn’t come naturally to you you’re going to need some serious discipline, motivation, and a certain amount of patience as you change your schedule and adjust to a new routine.
People talk about getting up early as if it’s the key to great success – my belief is that it’s entirely up to you, but certainly getting up earlier can mean a lot of positive changes in your life and a lot more time to do the things.
There is something very special about that quiet and peaceful time to yourself.
Read on to find out what I discovered about what it takes to make getting up early a part of your routine!
Look at your morning
If you take the time to plan your morning in your mind, you have a better chance of experiencing it in reality. Take just 5 minutes before you go to bed to plan what you will do when you wake up, and most importantly, how you will FEEL as you do it.
Sleep well
Of course, the quality of your sleep will be a big factor in determining how you feel when you wake up. Make sure you get into the habit of going to bed at the same time every day as often as possible. This makes it easier for your body to adjust to waking up earlier.
Set everything up the night before
It’s an old trick but one that works. If you plan to go for a run in the morning, they say you should put your running clothes and shoes on the night before. A considerable part of the success of your morning routine depends on you simply getting up and ready to go!
Don’t press snooze
Leave your phone or alarm clock out of reach. It’s tempting to hit snooze, but it’s actually much easier to get up right away. I like to imagine that the day is waiting for me to show her how ready and willing I am to make the most of it!
Smile first thing and get in the shower
Set the tone for your day with a smile and a positive attitude! Getting straight into the shower can also be very helpful in rejuvenating you physically and mentally, and getting you ready for the morning.
Read something inspiring
Keep a book of inspirational quotes by your bed or something that makes you smile and feel positive as you wake up.
These are little tips, steps to get you into early riser mode, BUT they are not the real key to making these changes.
The real key to getting up earlier is KNOWING WHY YOU WANT TO.
It seems so simple, but without knowing your true motivation for getting up earlier, you won’t be able to stick to the discipline.
You need to have your reasons for doing this and better if they are specific.
If you want to wake up earlier because you heard it’s what successful people do, that’s not good enough.
Do you need to ask yourself exactly how it will benefit your life?
What do you plan to do with those extra minutes or hours in the morning?
Doing something with your extra time in the morning should have a purpose.
Where will that extra time lead you and your life goals? What does the result look like?
For example, I wanted to see more sunrises, but I also wanted to experiment with writing and journaling first thing in the morning while it was still dark. I wanted to experience that special, quiet time and feel how my mind worked differently while the rest of the world slept.
I knew that the extra time in those early hours would push me to finish some creative projects I had that I kept putting off later in the day, feeling like I didn’t have time.
When you have a specific motivation factor like writing your book for an extra hour a day, you are much more likely to stick to a new routine.
Maybe you want to get in some early morning yoga or meditation, or you like to go for a walk outside in nature before the day starts, whatever it is figure out your WHY and then act on it.
Just waking up and then not making good use of the time is not the key to success – it’s all about finding your motivation to get up early!
