It seems like the older I get, the shorter the days get. Each week, month, and year keep flying by faster and faster. I find it increasingly difficult to accomplish everything on my daily to-do list. To get the most out of my day, it’s imperative that I consistently wake up early to get a head start.
Mornings are a prime time to get things done. This is when your mind is refreshed from a good night of sleep. It’s before a long day of work or class. After a full day of activity, our brains may be so exhausted that we won’t have the mental capacity to work towards our own personal goals. Use this alone time in the morning to relax, plan your day, and work on YOURSELF. Prioritize yourself. You’re worth it.
Go to Sleep Earlier
This seems obvious, but how do you expect to wake up motivated at 6 AM if you went to bed at midnight? Sleep should be a top priority. Aim to get at least 7-8 hours a night. Can’t fall asleep that early? If you commit to waking up early and resist the urge to take a nap during the day, you will likely be exhausted enough to fall asleep early. It doesn’t take long to adapt and get on that early-riser schedule.
Go to Sleep When You’re Tired
Do you ever lie down when you're tired, but remain on your phone until you can’t physically keep your eyes open anymore? Don't do this! There goes 30-45 minutes of quality sleep that you could have gotten. Put the electronics down and sleep when you’re tired.
Program Your Coffee Maker to Start Brewing With Your Alarm
The smell of coffee may be enough to get you out of bed (or the fact that if you keep pressing snooze your coffee will get cold and no one likes microwaved coffee).
Start Each Day With Something You Love
Getting out of bed won’t feel like a chore if you know you get to begin your day on a positive note. For me, it’s reading, specifically personal development books. The whole world seems peaceful. It’s silent. It’s just me, my coffee, and my book. For you, maybe it’s going for a walk to get some fresh air and thinking about the upcoming day. Or maybe it’s spending quality time with your pet. Do what makes you happy, always.
Establish a Night Time Routine
This way, when you wake up, everything is in order. You have a clean home with no dirty dishes in the sink. You have your packed lunch in the refrigerator. You have your outfit picked out. Waking up to an organized environment will reduce stress and won’t make you dread getting out of bed in the morning because of all the things you neglected to get done the night before.
Plan Your Day
If you’re a schedule-oriented person, you won’t want to stray from your intentions so you’ll be forced to start your day at your desired time. Plus, if you have a plan of everything you want to accomplish, you will realize that in order to get it all done you more than likely won’t be able to sleep in. It will also ensure that you jump right into work once awake; you won’t contemplate where to start because you’ve already created an outline.
Focus on Your Goals
Your goals should have you genuinely ecstatic to get out of bed in the morning. It’s a new day to make strides towards achieving the things you’ve been dreaming of. Even waking up 30 minutes earlier each day for a week will give you 3.5 hours of extra time to tackle your to-do list.
I used to be the kind of person who couldn’t manage to get out of bed before noon on the weekend and who struggled to make it to an 11 AM lecture. Never in my life would I have thought that I would convert into a morning person—it seemed impossible for me. Now, I look forward to getting out of bed early (even on the weekends) and working towards my goals. You too can get there and the good news is it won’t take long to make it happen!
Make it your goal to rise 30 minutes earlier this week and mentally prepare for your day. See how inspired you feel at the end of the week and evaluate the progress you've made towards your personal goals. How much have you accomplished in this 3.5 hours that you would not have if you remained in bed? You will also avoid being rushed out the door in the morning and all the negative feelings that go along with it.
Have an amazing week!
Mandi.
