“Life is too short,” she panicked, “I want more.” He nodded slowly, “Wake up earlier.”
~ Dr. SunWolf
Today I woke up at 5am. About three years ago, this statement would have gone more like: “Oh my God, people! Today I woke up at 5am! Isn’t that crazy?!?” But that was back when, as a self-proclaimed night owl, I still hadn’t woken up to all of the beauty and opportunities that early mornings have to deliver. I was going to bed around midnight and waking up with the rest of my family and the cacophony that accompanied them. Each and every morning was a blur of running around and finding shoes and gulping coffee and making lunches and brushing hair and packing backpacks… Sometimes, if I was lucky, I had a second to down a granola bar. In the car.
But not today. Today I woke up at 5am to the sound of my alarm clock and, per usual, refused to hit snooze. (I mean, why start off an awesome new day with procrastination, right?) I put on my shorts and tank (clean and waiting for me!), leisurely walked into my kitchen where I drank a huge luscious glass of lemon water, and proceeded to the garage where I spent 22 minutes sweating hard corps with Tony Horton. I looked at my watch. It was 5.42am. Time to make my mocha Shakeology (and to savor it!), check my emails, get the kids’ things ready for school, and relish in the satisfaction of having already worked out. Oh, and to enjoy another glorious hour of silence and calm…
There is so much that can be accomplished in a solitary morning hour or two. This is not communal time you are required to share with your spouse/children/boss/employees/etc. This is the time that you can own! No one is tugging at your shirt and asking for an orange juice; no one is requiring you to fix or listen or manage or make; no one needs attending to at this moment but you… Just you. Own the morning! It’s yours for the taking.
What I imagine some of you are thinking: “Umm, oh-kay… But it’s so hard to wake up early!”
What I imagine others of you are thinking: “But I’m a night owl!”
What the rest of you are likely thinking: “Nope.”
I get it, I really do. I used to love being up after everyone had fallen asleep. I would do this and that… but I never really accomplished much after 9pm, other than reading a book or watching a movie. And I NEVER worked out at night. Oh, I had plans to and would set aside time to, but after the hours of craziness and busy-ness that preceded my evenings, I was already spent. I hear from so many people I coach that, if they leave their workout to the end of the day, they’re either too tired from work/parenting/etc., or they’re spending that time making up for what they didn’t get done that day. See, when you wake up early, you don’t face any of that.
Here are a few tips I can share that helped me become the grateful early bird I am today:
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Do it gradually. If you know you can benefit from two extra hours in the morning and you currently get out of bed at 7am, wake up next week at 6.30am. Then the following week make it 6am, then next 5.30am, and finally at 5am. This way, your body is gradually syncing with earlier rising. Cold turkey, though I don’t mind it in a pita, does not work for many of us.
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Prepare. If your home is not in order (For those whose homes are in perfect shape, Kudos! and Really?), try to prepare your home and your family as much as possible before your new wake-up venture. With all of the laundry put away and clothes ready for the next day, dishes done, etc., you can wake up without that hanging over your head and you can, instead, make your mornings all about YOU.
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Go to bed earlier. This is a no-brainer. Even if you don’t think you’ll sleep, just climb into bed and turn off that TV. (Don’t worry, you won’t miss anything. This is what DVRs are for.) Having the television on at night is not conducive to sleep. Instead, read a book in bed. It’s a wonderful way to lull you to sleep…
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Don’t hit snooze. Like I mentioned before, hitting snooze is procrastinating and why on earth would you want to begin your day – one with so much potential and awesomeness – with a black mark? You’re better than that! Plus, “snoozing” doesn’t make you any less tired or more awake. It’s silly. Don’t do it.
“Hitting the snooze button in the morning doesn’t even make sense. It’s like saying, ‘I hate getting up in the morning, so I do it over, and over, and over again.’ ” ~ Demetri Martin
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Take good advantage of your time. Make sure you’re not wasting these hours, so don’t wake up early to just then hop on social media or watch tv or sit in a daze. You’d be surprised how much you can get done between 5am and 7am! (See my morning above.) Just getting in a workout, alone, is golden: Accomplishing your fitness goal in the early morning – breaking a sweat before everyone else has even woken up to stretch – is the most amazing kickstart to your day! I PROMISE YOU, you will be so positively changed by this. Is it always easy? Nope! But I always feel incredible, not only right after, but for the rest of the day! Early-morning workouts are the gift that keeps on giving.
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Be awesome. Say you start waking up two hours earlier every day. That’s 60 hours a month to own your time! That’s 730 EXTRA HOURS a year to be awesome! Oh, what you can do for your dreams and your aspirations in those gorgeous, pre-dawn, “just me” hours! I’m really excited for us…
Odd, but I have no plans for tonight, other than hanging out with my family and friends. Guess why? Because I’ve accomplished everything I need to do today! Without those extra hours I gave myself this morning, this would definitely not be the case. I’d likely be playing catch-up tonight with work, not working out, and ultimately not spending precious time with the people I love. Thank you, Early Morning, for making sure I don’t miss out on what matters most.
The breeze at dawn has secrets to tell you. Don’t go back to sleep ~ Rumi
