Apr 18, 2021
The One Key Secret to Being an Early Riser — Get a Cat
The power to change can come from the most unlikely of places
For many high-performing people, getting up early is the key to their success. Using the early hours before the rest of the world rises, to get things done. CEO of Apple, Tim Cook famously gets up at 3:45 am. Achieving a level of productivity that us mere mortals could only dream about.
It’s a simple truth that I’m not an early riser by nature. Surrounded by a cocoon of warmth and comfort under my duvet. The thought of greeting the day with the birds fills me with an assault on the senses and the dread of an anxiety attack.
I’ve tried getting up early. Using multiple alarms. Setting them with the best of intentions and placing them in different parts of the bedroom. However, it was far too easy to get up, smash the snooze button, and collapse back into bed.
I knew getting up earlier would allow me to start the day on a better foot. More relaxed, more focused, and the ability to tackle my highest priorities before the rest of the household arose.
All this changed for me when I got a cat. Her name is Biscuit, and she is the most effective alarm clock I have ever owned. Without fail, she would stand in the doorway to the bedroom and meow for my attention. All this before my regular alarm wakes me. When Biscuit wants attention, she demands attention.
Biscuit doesn’t have a snooze button and ignoring her only makes her louder. I tried foolishly to ignore her once. The result was she’d spent the next hour sitting on my shoulder in bed meowing at a high volume until I took notice. This is one of her keys to success — her power of persistence.
Relentless in her pursuit to get me up before 6 am. It’s food that drives her. On the face of it, she comes across as self-centered. But deep down, she knows what’s good for me. Allowing me to form the habit of getting up earlier and earlier. If I’m up now, I might as well stay up.
For the next 20 minutes, she is the center of my attention. Food, water, play. Whatever she needs. After that, the day belongs to me. More focused and productive. Being able to appreciate the beauty of a sunrise. Enabling me to start the day, in a way that lets me be the most successful version of myself.
There are many testimonials from successful people about how taking control of their mornings has enabled them to be more productive, taking their careers to elevated heights. Not one of them mentions the enormous power a cat can have on their morning routine. They might have missed a trick.
