Ever feel like time is playing a trick on you? You set big goals but they always seem to become a last priority. No matter how you rearrange your day, you never seem to have enough time for all of your commitments, least of all time for yourself.
I felt this way for years, but I’ve found a way to slow down the clock, get more done and also have a more enjoyable day. All by changing when I sleep.
Late in 2011, my business partner and I officially launched Spike. Naturally I fell into the routine of working 9 to 5 without questioning the logic behind it. I’d wake up at around 8 am or 7:30 on good days and began my sluggish morning routine.
One night, I didn’t sleep very well. I was up around 5 am and by 5:30, I decided I might as well get up because I wasn’t going to fall back asleep. That morning, I got all of my laundry done, took the dogs for a nice long walk, cleaned the kitchen, enjoyed a relaxing coffee outside and still made it to work for 9 am.
The difference between that day and the day before? I got more “me” time to start my day. I did the things I enjoyed first (and some things that are just nice to get out of the way). I felt so productive that I did it again the next day and the next day until eventually I started waking up at 4:30 am.
No matter whom I tell that I wake up at 4:30, the reaction is similar. They feel like they would be robbed of sleep and that I’m crazy. So I did some research. I found numerous studies that prove the benefits of early rising. Some things were a surprise even to me.
Here is a short list of benefits from getting up early:
In case you think I skimp on sleep, I don’t. I parctice the art of napping daily.
Change is never easy but here are a few tricks I used to make the habit stick:
As with most things, perspective is everything. The problem wasn’t that I didn’t have enough time, it’s that my time was all wrong. I didn’t prioritize what’s important to me, because I believed other things came first. I started by taking control of my day.
One step at a time, I’m now the early bird that gets the worm.
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