7 Reasons You Should Wake Up Earlier…And How To Make It Happen

It’s the start of the year, and “wake up earlier” is probably at the top of hundreds if not thousands of New Year’s Resolutions. So how do we actually make this the year that resolution sticks? 

The truth is waking up at 5 am or whenever you define early, is not the key to success. The key to success is getting clear on your values and making choices that align with those values. One common value that we all share is making time for the things that matter, whether that be your work, your family, education, self-care, travel, the list goes on. We’ve all said at one time or another, that we wish we could have a few more hours of the day or wondered where the day has gone. 

Waking up early does give you the extra time in the day. It’s a choice to start your morning productively and proactively instead of reactively.

Here are 7 more reasons you should wake up earlier:

1. It builds your confidence. 
Think about it. You set yourself a challenge, and your first action of the day is accomplishing that challenge. More than that, you get a headstart on the rest of the world, and by the time everyone else is getting up, you’ve already put in a couple of productive hours. 

2. It builds discipline. 
Making a consistent effort towards this goal gives you a blueprint to replicate over other areas of your life.

3. It Helps You Define What Matters
Waking up early means intentionally dedicating time to the things that matter to you. Your passion project, meditation, an hour alone with a cup of coffee. You get to decide what brings you joy and spend your time on that.

4. Preparation
Thinking about the day ahead and planning for it will help you be more prepared, and show up powerfully to any meetings, appointments or engagements you have planned for the day

5. Better Sleep Habits
Having more productive hours in the day naturally means getting more tired as the night wears on. Having a consistent wake-up time means you will set a consistent bedtime, which helps your body follow its natural circadian rhythm.

6. Exercise
One of our biggest excuses for not getting enough exercise is not having enough time to do it. Mornings are an amazing time to get a workout in before the struggles of the day wear you out.

7. Increased Productivity
Quiet mornings create the perfect environment to work on high impact projects. These are the things that require the most focus and creativity.

How to Wake Up Earlier:

1. Define your why. If you don’t have a solid reason to get up, you won’t get up, it’s that simple. Why do you want to do this? Let that be your last thought when you go to bed and your first thought when you get up.

2. Ease yourself into it: Set a goal to wake up 15 minutes earlier, then 30, then an hour and so forth. 

3. Go to bed earlier: You may not be able to fall asleep right away, but taking some time to unwind is incredibly helpful to your mental health

4. Leave your alarm clock far from your bed…force yourself to get out of bed as soon as it goes off.

5. Reward yourself: get your favorite coffee or breakfast ready to go, or think of something you love to do for yourself, and make that a part of your morning routine