How Waking Up Early has Changed My Life

Rise and Shine

Trying to sleep past 6:30 am in the house I grew up in was like parallel parking an A380 Airbus. It was difficult and ill-advised.

Assuming you weren't jolted from your semi-peaceful slumber from the clamor of pots and pans in the kitchen you would likely hear the words, "Chop! Chop! Time to get up!" ringing in your ears.

To this day I'm still not sure why the first two words of that bizarre rallying cry were so effective but they worked every time. I didn't realize it back then, and I certainly didn't appreciate being plucked from a dream but waking up early has served me well throughout my life.

Time and Tide Wait for No One

First, I learned very early on the value of time and the many forms it can take. It can be an ally, or a bully. A motivator or a deterrent. And what's interesting about time is the quality of our partnership with it is completely up to us. It's like being in a committed relationship with someone where you do all the work. You're never rewarded for remembering anniversaries or taking out the trash without being asked. It just needs to happen without pageantry or celebration.

But in the process you start to cultivate your own meaning of time, it's fleeting nature, and how to utilize as much of it as you can. 

For me, it feels like there's more time the earlier I rise. Obviously, the amount of sand in the hour glass isn't actually modified but it's the illusion I've created that motivates me to protect it.

Whenever I've gotten up a little later than I would have liked to I start the day in an emotional deficit. I feel irritated, frenzied even. And instead of spending the early hours setting the tone of my day I end up quelling the frustration I feel for not rolling out of bed sooner. 

In other words, I'm trying to figure out how to make more time rather than leverage the amount I have.

Time to Make Something

Second, my creativity is at a peak state in the morning. This is a byproduct of setting up good morning routines, and equally important, evening ones. Before going to bed I jot down 3 things I'm grateful for, take a moment to reflect on the day, and look over some insightful notes from anything on productivity to spirituality. All in all it takes about 3 minutes.

Essentially, I'm making sure I don't go to bed with natural disasters, scandals, or deficits dancing in my head. I'm doing my best not to add fodder to the my subconscious mind so I don't wake up in a state of fear. 

Because we're already working with an outdated piece of hardware whose sole purpose is to help us survive, we instinctively look for what's wrong. That's equally true in the mornings.

But if I can somehow influence the programming in my mind I can, to some extent, update my software. 

As a result, I often feel an extra bounce in my step and look forward to the reading, writing, and meditating that have now become indispensable parts of the early hours of my day. 

By 6:30 am I've learned something, expressed something, and taken a few moments to prime my brain to pause rather than react to all the unexpected events that will happen as soon as I walk out my front door.

Discipline is Fleeting

Finally, getting up early means I now feel more inclined to slip under the covers early as well. I take solace in a day well spent and don't feel especially compelled to find all the ways to distract myself during the evening hours. 

My body is ready to rest again which should take precedent over mindlessly surfing the web or staring into my smartphone. It's not to say those things don't ever happen but I'm much more cognizant of its compound effect. I understand that one minute texting can become an hour, or how one Youtube video can seamlessly become eight. 

I try my best to avoid distractions rather than resist them. Discipline is fleeting but good habits can last a lifetime.