Waking Up Early
Waking up early is something so many want, but for some, it’s just too difficult. A simple trick. Easy as 3,2,1
It started as a 4:00 a.m. wake-up, then I meditated in the morning, so that turned into a 3:45 a.m. wake-up. The morning meditation didn’t work out, but the 3:45 a.m. wake-up is still a part of my morning routine.
Tips and Tricks to Waking Up Early
The internet has many articles on waking up early and tricks, from powering down before bedtime to moving your alarm clock out of reach. A good place to start here on WebMD is Wake-Up Tips: How to Make the Morning Easier.
The Trick That Made a Difference for Me
Like many people, I tried a lot of these tricks, but none stuck for me. Yes, they worked for a day or two, but none of them worked long-term. What I was missing was one simple idea, a simple concept.
When you wake up, the little voices in your head wake up as well. These voices are shrewd negotiators. “Come on, stay in bed. Run? Today? But it’s cold out. It’s too hot out. “ For years, I tried to out-negotiate with the voices, to reason with them, and most of the time I came out on the losing end. It was not until I watched a TED Talk video by Mel Robbins, “How to Stop Screwing Yourself Over,” that the answer became clear.
3,2,1 Is the answer.
I get up before my mind talks me out of it. Don’t think, no pondering, no let me lie here for five more minutes. Get out of bed as soon as the alarm goes off. When my alarm rings, I turn it off and, in the same motion, get out of bed. By the time the little voices in my head complain, I’ve been to the bathroom, weighed myself, put on the coffee, and I’m in the middle of brushing my teeth.
Does It Suck?
Yes, sometimes. But I still have that conversation in my sink while brushing my teeth as opposed to when I am still in bed. The conversation about getting out of bed has long since been over. Do I get up tired? Sure, sometimes. Here is my morning negotiation posture. I will negotiate going back to bed after my morning run. By the way, I make my bed while I am having my morning coffee. So, before I finish my coffee, I have already crossed 2 items off my to-do list.
Conclusion
The trick to getting up early is to get up and out of bed before the voices in your head negotiate, three, two, one. Get out of bed. No thinking, no wondering, no negotiating. This works better if you start by getting to bed on time and falling asleep quickly. For ideas on how to make that happen, see my post, How to Fall Asleep Faster.
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