The early bird catches the worm, and there’s no better time to get things done than while everyone else is still wrapped up in bed. What better time to get a jump on the most important things you have to do than while everyone else is asleep.
Whether it’s wanting to get some exercise, do some reading or even taking the time to work through your morning routine. Getting up early is a really good way to hit the ground running. Ticking off some important tasks before you go to work or taking the time to set yourself up for a good day at work will put you in the right frame of mind to blast through the rest of your day.
We recently wrote an article on morning routine first principles. A series of steps you could do each morning to get off to the right start.
“That’s all very well” you might be thinking “But I struggle to get out of bed in time for work as it is.” You could have the best morning routine in the world, but you’re not going to be able to get it done if you’re still under the covers. So how can you get up early?
The dreaded snooze
The simple answer would be to “Just do it!” Set your alarm an hour or two earlier and muscle your way through sleep deprivation for the first few days. Depending on how much earlier you want to get up it might suck, but this is definitely an option. Although probably not destined to be something you enjoy, and it might make it more difficult to stick to.
For those of you less masochistically inclined below are some tips to make getting up early a habit you can start and stick to.
Go to bed earlier.
This should be obvious, but just in case. Get into bed at a reasonable time. Your body needs x number of hours sleep, for some it’s 8, for others 6 is enough. Whatever your sleep needs make sure you’re getting enough.
Plan what time you want to get up and work backwards. If you want to get up at 6:30 make sure you’re in bed by 22:30, and allow yourself to wind down a bit beforehand. Sleep is one of the engines which powers everything in our lives, including helping our hair and skin look good. Make sure you’re getting enough of it.
Baby steps
Get up 5 minutes earlier each day. You’re not going to go from an 8am start to 6am overnight, so break it down into smaller steps. A few minutes less in bed each day will give you body time to adjust to the change. Even if you’re not getting to sleep exactly when you need to a minor sleep debt like this won’t dramatically affect your performance.
Reaching these incremental goals will also give you a sense of satisfaction, and be more motivating than if you try for an hour and fail. By breaking it into 5 or 10 minute chunks you’re making it easier for yourself to succeed. Get up just 5 minutes earlier each day and after two weeks you’ll be getting up an hour earlier.
Find your why
There’s also been several studies linking getting up early with more success at work and reduced mental illness, and longevity. And while they might sound like good things to tell your friends, none of that matters if they’re not something you care about.
We all have things in our lives that would make use happier, healthier and richer. But, we never get around to them, because we don’t have a why. You have to find your own reason why getting up early is important. Not just because Elon Musk or Steve Jobs did it and they became successful. You can bet they know why they’re getting up early. Having your own why will give you something to think about when the alarm is blaring first thing. And give you the motivation to push back the covers instead of pushing down the snooze.
Arise sir!
So there you have it. Some ideas for how to get yourself up early so you can do the things which are important for you.
Want some ideas on what to put in your morning routine? See our article Morning routine – 6 steps to start your day the right way
Or want to use that extra time in the morning to take better care of your skin?
See our skincare articles, if you’re looking to upgrade your morning routine:
Let us know what you think.