The power I’ve found in becoming an early riser
Some time ago, I posted a piece of writing which listed my own primary Five Rules for Life – one of which being this very concept, waking up early.
I have personally implemented an early alarm clock as part of my daily routine, sparking a multitude of corresponding benefits. Benefits include: increased productivity, improved sleep patterns, and many more.
Here’s the thing – early is relative. My work day begins earlier than most, thus requiring an extra early alarm – something to the tune of 4:00 am. But, of course, this is due to a 7:00 am start time. If, for example, you work the standard 9:00 am – 5:00 pm, a 4:00 am alarm time isn’t quite necessary.
So, what is necessary? Again, it’s relative. However, as a rule of thumb, 15-20 minutes earlier than your normal waking time is a good number to begin with.
You might be thinking: “what am I supposed to do with an extra 20 minutes?” What may seem like a completely inconsequential amount of time will compound as time goes on – 20 minutes per day is 2 hours and 20 minutes per week, which is roughly 10 hours per month and will continue to grow into 120 hours per year.
That is a lot of time, wouldn’t you say?
What to do?
I’ve become an early riser for one primary reason: to get things done before my “day begins” and before my wife and daughter wake for the day. From the hours of 4:00 am – 6:00 am, I am able to prioritize my fitness, my reading and writing, as well as my mindfulness, without sacrificing time with my family.
A favorite quote of mine goes as such: “It’s not about ‘having’ time, it’s about ‘making’ time.”
It’s the god’s honest truth, if you ask me. There is never quite enough time in the day to complete everything you’d like to complete – especially so if you wait for the time to present itself. The time isn’t always readily available, it’s up to you to make it work.
Back to the question at hand – what should you do in the extra minutes or hours added to your day?
Think to yourself: “what is something I’d love to pick up, or pick BACK up?” Maybe a hobby lost in the shuffle of parenthood, or an entrepreneurial dream which once consumed your heart and mind but has since faded?
Perhaps your fitness is lacking, and you know that you need to right the ship, but you “have” no time. Luckily for you, here we are, making the time.
In truth, what you do with the time is in your hands, and yours alone. As you’ve heard many times before, you are the director of your own destiny, and it begins with small steps such as this.
What about sleep?
Go to bed earlier. Plain and simple. There isn’t some sort of secret sauce to this equation (although I wish there were.)
The hours you spend at night binge watching TV shows or browsing social media – those should be spent sleeping.
Sleep is integral to the overall performance of the human body, which is something that I blindly ignored for years but have now come to accept. You will need good sleep to operate properly, and while 8 hours is a great number to strive for, it’s not always attainable when prioritizing an early alarm clock.
I’ve come to understand, through many modes of research, while a whole slew of factors play into the recovery of a human body, that 6-7 hours will suffice.
Just do it
It’s going to suck, I won’t lie to you. Your mind is going to try and keep you down, it’s going to try and hold you back – that’s human nature.
You aren’t going to be motivated to climb out of your warm bed, leaving your spouse sleeping deeply and comfortably. Who would be motivated to do that? No one.
As I’ve said plenty of times, motivation be damned. It will come, and it will go. What stands between you and the ability to get out of bed and act in a productive manner is not some arbitrary level of motivation – it’s discipline.
When your alarm sounds, just do it. Just get up. Force yourself to silence the voices in your head attempting to convince you otherwise. They don’t want what is best for you, no, they want what is easiest for you.
What is best, not what is most convenient. Make a change that will become habitual. Make a change that will impact your life for the better. Start small, and don’t look back. The person you are is the person you wish to become, just on the other side of some sacrifice.
Forged in Fire 
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