Stop1 telling1 yourself1 you’re1 not1 a1 morning1 person.1 If1 you1 want1 to1 be1 your1 most1 productive1 self,1 it’s1 time1 change1 your1 habits.
It’s1 frustrating,1 isn’t1 it?1 You1 want1 to1 become1 an1 early1 riser.
You1 know1 that1 waking1 up1 early1 is1 one1 of1 the1 best1 ways1 to1 be1 more1 productive.1 You1 know1 that1 many1 of1 the1 world’s1 most1 successful1 entrepreneurs1 are1 early1 risers.
Yet1 no1 matter1 how1 hard1 you1 try,1 you1 can’t1 seem1 to1 stop1 hitting1 snooze.
You1 don’t1 have1 to1 let1 productivity1 slip1 through1 your1 hands1 forever.1 Here’s1 how1 to1 finally1 wake1 up1 earlier:
1. GET UP JUST ONE MINUTE EARLIER (EACH DAY)
Setting2 your2 alarm2 earlier2 doesn’t2 always2 mean2 you’ll2 rise2 earlier.2 If2 you2 find2 yourself2 constantly2 hitting2 “snooze”2 until2 your2 regular2 wake-up2 time,2 your2 body2 probably2 needs2 time2 to2 adjust.
Instead2 of2 a2 52 a.m.2 wake-up2 right2 away,2 set2 your2 alarm2 one2 minute2 earlier2 every2 second2 day2 until2 you’ve2 reached2 your2 goal.
For2 example:
In2 a2 month,2 you’ll2 wake2 up2 152 minutes2 earlier2 and2 hardly2 notice.2 You’ll2 have2 made2 it2 “so2 easy2 you2 can’t2 say2 no.”
You’ll2 take2 longer2 to2 reach2 your2 goal,2 but2 taking2 a2 few2 months2 to2 build2 the2 habit2 is2 better2 than2 never2 building2 it2 at2 all.
2. MOTIVATE YOURSELF BY CHASING SMALL WINS
Waking3 up3 at3 53 a.m.3 certainly3 gives3 you3 a3 lot3 of3 extra3 quiet3 hours3 to3 get3 things3 done,3 but3 if3 your3 normal3 wake-up3 time3 is3 8:303 a.m.,3 you3 won’t3 succeed3 at3 waking3 up3 at3 53 a.m.3 right3 away.
Consider3 financial3 expert3 Dave3 Ramsey’s3 debt-snowball3 method3 of3 repaying3 the3 smallest3 debt3 first.3 Some3 argue3 that3 the3 indebted3 should3 focus3 on3 debts3 with3 the3 highest3 interest3 rate.
This3 is3 logical3 because3 you’ll3 save3 more3 money,3 but3 we’re3 not3 motivated3 by3 logic.
Dave3 Ramsey’s3 method3 generates3 small3 wins,3 which3 are3 motivating.3 This3 explains3 why3 we3 can3 lose3 weight3 easier3 after3 we’ve3 lost3 one3 pound.3 Progress3 encourages3 us3 to3 continue.
Instead3 of3 relying3 on3 logic3 and3 setting3 a3 goal3 of3 waking3 up3 two3 hours3 earlier,3 try3 half3 an3 hour3 earlier.3 When3 you3 reach3 that3 goal,3 you’ll3 have3 generated3 a3 small3 win.
You3 can3 re-visit3 your3 wake-up3 time3 after3 you’ve3 met3 your3 first3 goal,3 but3 you3 must3 walk3 before3 you3 can3 run.
3. USE PEER PRESSURE TO WAKE UP ON TIME
Set4 a4 meeting4 with4 other4 early4 risers4 first4 thing4 in4 the4 morning.
This4 is4 effective4 because:
When4 your4 alarm4 clock4 is4 the4 only4 thing4 counting4 on4 you4 to4 wake4 up4 early,4 a4 warm4 bed4 is4 more4 compelling.
4. MANIPULATE YOUR ENVIRONMENT TO MAKE WAKING UP EASIER
You’re5 far5 more5 likely5 to5 stick5 with5 a5 habit5 if5 you5 engineer5 your5 environment.5 For5 example,5 you’re5 more5 likely5 to5 exercise5 if5 your5 gym5 clothes5 are5 set5 out.
Here5 is5 how5 you5 can5 engineer5 your5 environment5 to5 wake5 up5 early:
5. TROUBLESHOOT YOUR FAULTY MORNING WAKE-UP ROUTINE
What6 actions6 are6 you6 taking6 that6 cause6 you6 to6 fail?6 Analyze6 exactly6 what6 you’ve6 already6 tried6 to6 wake6 up6 earlier:
If6 I’ve6 previously6 tried6 setting6 my6 alarm6 but6 didn’t6 get6 out6 of6 bed6 because6 the6 house6 was6 cold,6 I6 could6 have6 anticipated6 that6 issue6 and6 set6 out6 a6 robe6 and6 slippers6 the6 night6 before.
Be6 honest6 with6 yourself.6 Why6 have6 you6 failed6 before?
6. GIVE YOURSELF AN IRRESISTIBLE REASON TO WAKE UP EARLY
What’s7 your7 vision7 for7 your7 extra7 time7 when7 you7 master7 the7 habit7 of7 waking7 up7 earlier?
Have7 you7 considered7 the7 impact7 of7 that7 vision7 on7 whether7 you7 follow7 through?
If7 your7 morning7 vision7 is7 to7 run7 when7 you7 wake7 up,7 but7 you7 don’t7 like7 running,7 you7 associate7 early7 rising7 with7 something7 unpleasant.
Change7 sticks7 when7 it’s7 associated7 with7 something7 pleasant.7 Plan7 to7 do7 something7 you7 love7 during7 your7 early7 mornings.7 When7 your7 early-morning7 plan7 includes7 something7 you’re7 excited7 about,7 that7 snooze7 button7 stops7 seeing7 so7 much7 action.
Think7 about7 it:7 if7 your7 goal7 doesn’t7 sound7 exciting,7 you’ll7 always7 see7 waking7 up7 early7 as7 a7 punishment,7 which7 won’t7 motivate7 you7 to7 jump7 out7 of7 bed7 when7 your7 alarm7 goes7 off.
7. TRACK YOUR PROGRESS
Jerry8 Seinfeld8 had8 one8 simple8 accountability8 trick8 up8 his8 sleeve:8 tracking8 his8 progress8 on8 a8 calendar.8 He8 wanted8 to8 write8 jokes8 every8 day,8 and8 when8 he8 did,8 he’d8 mark8 an8 “X”8 on8 a8 calendar8 with8 the8 marker,8 creating8 a8 chain8 after8 a8 few8 days8 of8 consistency.8 The8 chain8 motivated8 Seinfeld8 to8 stick8 with8 writing.
Just8 think8 of8 how8 motivating8 a8 calendar8 hanging8 within8 eyeshot8 of8 your8 bed8 would8 be,8 the8 days8 begging8 to8 be8 crossed8 off8 with8 a8 big8 red8 marker.
8. BRAINWASH YOURSELF WITH A MORNING PERSON’S MANTRA
Did9 you9 know9 that9 your9 struggle9 with9 rising9 early9 has9 a9 lot9 to9 do9 with9 self-belief?9 Convincing9 yourself9 that9 you’re9 “not9 a9 morning9 person”9 is9 a9 limiting9 belief.
Changing9 your9 self-belief9 from9 “I’m9 not9 a9 morning9 person”9 to9 “I’m9 the9 type9 of9 person9 who9 wakes9 up9 early”9 subtly9 changes9 your9 behavior9 because9 self-belief9 is9 a9 self-fulfilling9 prophecy.
Waking9 up9 early9 won’t9 be9 easy9 for9 your9 first9 couple9 of9 weeks.9 Your9 body9 needs9 time9 to9 adjust9 to9 this9 new9 routine.
But9 just9 think:9 you’re9 so9 close9 to9 crazy9 productivity–to9 getting9 projects9 done9 while9 the9 rest9 of9 the9 world9 sleeps–with9 no9 interruptions9 or9 distractions.
And9 once9 you9 get9 adjusted9 to9 your9 new9 schedule,9 you’ll9 be9 in9 the9 club.9 You’ll9 finally9 know9 what9 everyone9 is9 talking9 about.
And9 you’ll9 never9 go9 back9 to9 being9 “not9 a9 morning9 person.”