Imagine what you could accomplish if you could really make a routine out of getting up earlier, and were excited about leaping out of bed to embrace the day. It is possible. Here are six hacks to help you do it.
Being an early riser is commonly associated with being successful. We routinely hear that top CEOs and leaders have a habit of getting up before everyone else. Of course, not everyone is naturally a morning person. It is possible to succeed as a night owl. Yet, there are big perks of getting up in the early hours. You get a head start on the world, have more time to be productive with fewer distractions, and can then use your afternoons and evenings for other things you love. Imagine being done with your business day at 2pm. What could you spend the rest of your day doing, that you have really been craving to spend time on? Going on dates, making the kids sports games, or engaging in a side project.
Try these tools for making it more appealing, and possible to get your day started earlier…
- Technology
Rather than just hunting for the loudest alarm you can find, look for smarter alarms and tech tools for waking up earlier. Smart home lighting and window covering controls can help by naturally increasing the amount of light in the room to help you wake up. Choosing a more inspirational or motivational alarm tone can go a long way too. Lifehack recommends the Jawbone UP and Fitbit Flex for vibrating wearable tech to wake you and not your partner, as well as to intelligently choose the right time to wake you based on your sleep patterns.
- What You See When You Wake Up
Those first few seconds can make all the difference in between actually getting out of bed, or hitting snooze. How about posting your goals or a favorite quote on the ceiling or directly within your vision? Think about things which will make you feel thankful for the opportunity to get up and get going, and motivate you to leap out of bed.
- What You Schedule First Thing
What you schedule first for the morning makes a big difference too. Why is it that we seem to be able to get up on time when there is something really important to do, or when we are heading off on vacation? Why is that so different from days when you might have had the luxury of not having to get up, or when you’ve had a dull job to go to? Manipulate your motivation by scheduling more inspirational tasks and activities in the morning. If you get up earlier perhaps you’ll get to take that walk to the beach, have a coffee with someone you love, work on your journal, make it to the gym, or work on your new real estate business before having to go to a day job.
- Set Up Rewards
When you are successful, reward yourself. Motivate yourself to get up by setting up rewards later in the day or at the end of the week. It could be as simple as going out for dinner or ice cream if you finish up your to-dos by a certain time. Or arrange golf outings for the afternoon to keep up your momentum. Or make it a larger weekly reward for getting up early all week. Perhaps promise yourself a trip to your beach house or cabin for the weekend.
- Accountability
We seem to do a lot better at sticking to things when we set up accountability partners and tools. Tell others your plans to make a habit of getting up earlier, set calls earlier in the day, or post your new hours on your website and social media profiles. Perhaps one of your peers has the same goal and you can work together as accountability partners and win together. Even kids can be great partners in this process. Offer them $10 for every morning they can beat up at getting up. Or if you are a really heavy sleeper, $10 for every morning they can get you up by 6am. Publicly declaring new early morning projects is another way to achieve this. It could be blogging each morning before the office opens or posting motivational Instagram posts to your followers.
- Get Enough Sleep
The best intentions can be tough to follow through on if you aren’t getting enough sleep. Sufficient sleep is equally as important for productivity. At the beginning this might require a power nap during the day as your body transitions and gets accustomed to your new schedule. Then learn best practices for getting to bed earlier. This might include staying off of tech devices for an hour before bed, removing as many electronics from the bedroom as possible, or taking a walk and adjusting your evening diet so you can fall asleep.
