I remember far too well my weekends sleeping in until noon when I was a teenager. Waking up to a late breakfast (because I never skip breakfast) and starting my day around 1PM. Those were the days when responsibility was not a concern and the only thing that needed to get done that day was a 5-hour Play Station session with my friends. Little did I know that this lifestyle was soon to change.
Becoming an adult is far less about getting older and far more about getting more responsibilities. And becoming fluent in the responsibility language means managing your time effectively to get everything done. Like the great Ben Parker once said: “with great power comes great responsibility”, or how I like to think about it, the more I can do, the more I am given.
If you want to maximize your time and get as much done as possible, then I recommend you start waking up early using the 3 tips below:
1) Going to Bed Early = Getting Up Early
For the night-owls reading this post, there’s still hope for you. My disclaimer to you however, is that unless you give this a try for over a month, you might not see too many results. Sometimes you can’t beat the old and proven methods, and this is one of them. Go over your schedule and make sure you can go to bed early. Don’t schedule any heavy work past a certain hour and allow your mind to relax. In the case that you get inspired to work at a late hour, try to organize yourself to start this earlier to maximize your chances of going to bed early. Waking up early and energized is mostly determined by how many hours of sleep you get, so make this a priority.
2) Find the Sweet Spot
When I started learning about the power of waking up early, I tried to see if I can pull off a 5- to 6-hour sleeping schedule. I succeeded for the first three days until I crashed and slept like there’s no tomorrow. I just couldn’t sustain that for a long period of time. I’ve learned through trial and error that I need at least 7 hours to feel fully rested and ready to go. You might be well with 6 hours or you might need 8. No matter what your needs are, make sure to try out different combinations and find your sweet spot.
3) Build a Routine
Just like any discipline, waking up early is achieved by constant repetition. This includes weekends, holidays, and most importantly, weekdays. Set yourself for success and plan when you will start getting ready for bed and try to hit that time constantly. You can try setting a time that gives you about an hour or so to relax before going to bed. This could be your time to read a book, catch up with friends and family, or watch some tv. No matter what you choose to do, make sure you stay consistent and you will start noticing how it becomes easier as time goes by.
Waking up early gives you the time you need to accomplish more in a given day. Keep this in mind as you start building a routine and you will be successful.
Do you have a hard time waking up early? Have you tried any of these before and they didn’t work for you? Please let me know what you think.