There are two kinds of people when it comes to morning routines. The people that jump up ready to go in the wee hours of the morning, and the people that need multiple alarms and snooze button assistance to get there. Which one are you? My family is full of early risers. I am a morning person, but this wasn’t always the case! Sleeping in used to be really enjoyable.
That all changed out of necessity, when I started a professional job full time and was trying to finish college. My schedule was work from 5:00 AM to 1:30 PM and attend class afterwards. It was tough! Especially, as the seasons began to change, and it would stay lighter for longer.
These days I am up in the wee hours of the morning every day of the week. I accomplish a lot by the time most people are probably up. There are some changes that I made in my life to make it a benefit. Now it is something I look forward to. Making small changes to how you do things makes a big difference!
Keep a Schedule
I don’t tend to go way off schedule and stay up late every night I have a chance to. I am at a point where I will still wake up around the same time, regardless of when I went to bed and without an alarm clock. So, late nights tend to be a big no-no! Stay up for a while and have some fun but don’t overdo it.
Keeping a similar schedule every day of the week will make it easier to keep your sleep on track.
Make the most of your mornings by getting ready for the day as soon as you get up. Lounging around in your pajamas is a quick way to lose the day. Before you know it, it’s 2 in the afternoon and you haven’t accomplished a thing.
I can’t even imagine how many precious hours I wasted before I started doing this. I would finally pull myself into the bathroom to get ready after accomplishing nothing for a couple of hours!
Today I got up, and got ready for the day (shower, dress, take care of the dog, etc.). Everything I would normally do, as if I were going into the office.
Create a Routine
My morning routine is to start with a few minutes of development time and then jump into the work. You will find that when you wake up at this time, you are able to have greater flexibility at the start of your workday. There isn’t anyone right there at your side or calling you on the phone to help with their needs – yet.
You can create time at home before work or at the office before you start working.
If there is something you want to incorporate into your day, this is the time. Lately I’ve been working on business and personal development workbooks. I also make time to do some reading, to inspire me in my day and journaling.
Don’t make it a habit to voice out loud to people you work with, that you’re working in the early morning. In my world I think most people have this idea that I am available around 8:00 AM. I like it that way. I can focus on my toughest tasks first without interruption.
You need to focus on having this early morning quiet time to work and the rest of your day will fall into place.
Fill Your Mornings
When you start out your new life as an early morning riser, you will realize that on the weekends, you sit around and do a lot of waiting. The rest of the world still needs to wake up and catch up. I used to find myself sitting around and waiting for an appointment to happen.
When you wake up at 5:00 AM and an appointment you have scheduled isn’t until noon. That’s a whole day gone! I started to get irritated with this, so I began to make changes where I could!
These days I like to schedule things early:
- grocery shopping at 7:00 AM
- dropping the car off for maintenance at 7:00 AM
- nail and hair appointments at 8:00 AM
Find services that you can incorporate into your mornings. This way, you don’t have to realign your day to accommodate a later appointment.
You are choosing to be up early to get your tasks done. So, make the world fit into your schedule instead of waiting around for it to rise.
I really enjoy getting my tasks done in the morning. This is when I do my best thinking and work. You will have to figure out what works for you and when you work best. Everyone is different!
Embrace the Start of Morning
The thing that I’ve really enjoyed in the mornings is allowing the natural light to come into my home. When I get up it is usually still dark outside. I will open my blinds anyway so when the sun does rise, I’m there to greet it. As the day progresses, I also enjoy opening my window and allowing fresh air to fill the room.
Having the natural light and fresh air come into your work-space allows you to feel refreshed and energized!
Don’t forget to peel yourself away from your work occasionally to get out for even a few minutes. Sometimes you need to clear your head. Taking a break gives you renewed thought to pour into the project you’re working on.
The Take Away
Not everyone is an early morning riser, I get that. There are some changes you can make to your everyday tasks. This will help you look forward to a new schedule and help keep you on track. It will take some practice, but you will find more quiet and productive work time before you know it. Once you do, you will be hooked!
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