A lot of older successful people will tell you that waking up early is the key to success. They say starting the day with the sun will help you be more productive. In the military, it’s completely mandatory. I grew up with a military father who still believed and followed this tradition and it’s his fault that by most people’s standards, I’m a morning person. My father wouldn’t let us sleep past 9 am on weekends. As I got older, that habit never died. Now that I’m a somewhat functioning member of society with a “9–5” I wake up at 4:30 AM and honestly I have noticed a few benefits.
Designated Wake Up and Alone Time
I’m currently engaged and living with my fiance. I work a full time job during the day and when I get home I want to spend time with her. I’ve always been quite introverted and kept to myself and honestly sometimes I just need to be alone. I decided that instead of trying to carve out time at the end of my day, I’d wake up a little earlier and use that time as mine. From 4:30–4:45 I’m actually just waking up. I don’t get on social media or check my phone other than to verify the time. Waking up slower is definitely better than having to rush out of bed.
Time to Reflect and Work Out
Once I’m actually awake, I use this time to hit the gym. I currently have the luxury of an onsite gym at my apartment complex, but I find that working out in the morning is way better than working out in the evening. For me working out makes me feel good. It also makes me feel accomplished before my day starts. Even if I sleep in a little, I can still get some exercise in and wake my body up before I start my day.
Actually Tired at Night
I never had trouble going to sleep at night, but since waking up earlier, I’m actually tired at night. When I get off at 4 pm. I’ve actually been awake for 11.5 hours. My body is physically tired when I leave the office. After I eat dinner and spend time with my fiance and dog and work on my side hustle, I’m drained. At night, I’m ready for bed and can’t wait to drift off to dreamland so I can wake up and do it all over again tomorrow.
Valid Excuse
This one applies to all my introverts out there. When I was still in college, I would use the fact that I had to wake up early to get out of hanging out with people I didn’t want to hang out with. Once I started working a “9–5 job” I would use this excuse to leave the bar or club early. I find myself using this excuse most of the time I’m done hanging out somewhere I don’t want to be. The best part of this excuse though is that it’s not a lie. I actually get up early and need to sleep to think and function for the day.
Not Feeling Like Shit for Not Getting Up
This is only a half a reason, but if I don’t make it out of bed at 4:30, I don’t feel like shit for the day. I simply miss that day and sleep for another hour. Unlike when you oversleep, I still wake up at a normal time and I’m still not rushing out of the house for work. I go about my day like other people and everything is fine. There’s literally no downside because no one else knows that I didn’t get up early that day.
I’m pretty sure there are other real benefits to waking up early, but these are just a few of the ones I’ve noticed for me. Like I said, waking up early was instilled in me since I was a boy and it just hasn’t left. In fact, it’s only progressed. So thanks dad for teaching me a life hack to finding more time in the day.
Are you a morning person? What time do you wake up? Let’s talk about it in the comments!
Originally published at www.itslarryg.com on November 12, 2018.
