Recently, I set a little personal goal to wake up an hour earlier every single day. I know it’s nothing you haven’t heard before, but it is an easy goal to reach and it is totally worth trying. I want to challenge you to rise early with me before the new year, and I want to share with you four reasons why it’s a good, simple goal that will change your life and that you can easily incorporate into your daily routine.
I started waking up at 5am as opposed to 6am. While this is only an hour of extra time, it made a MASSIVE different in my life. However, start slowly, by waking just 15-30 minutes earlier than usual. Get used to this for a few days. Then cut back another 15 minutes. Do this gradually until you get to your goal time. You might be used to staying up late, perhaps watching TV or building new sales funnels. But if you continue this habit, while trying to get up earlier, sooner or later you will crash and sleep late and have to start over.
On average, 50% of self-made millionaires typically wake up 3-hours before their work day starts. You don’t have to be an entrepreneur, though. This is a lifestyle game-changer that anyone can and should try. Basically a person increases their chances of reaching their personal goals if they take the initiative to wake up early.
There is no better way to start off your day than to wake early, in my experience. So, what are the reasons?
Waking up early starts the day out with a feeling of accomplishment. When you start your day earlier than 99.9% of the world, this creates a feel-good factor and a host of positive effects. Plus, you are following through with your word. You are keeping small promises to yourself. These promises add up and increase personal confidence! Increased personal confidence typically comes when you are doing things that help you level up.
The tranquility you get in the morning is indescribable. This tranquility comes in two levels. First, there’s the physical quietness. You are alone with no disturbance to take away your attention. Then there’s quietness on the mental level. In the early hours of the morning when everyone is still at rest, you are free from the mental clutter chatter creates. Try not to scroll Instagram or check Facebook or the news and this makes us immediately reactive. By being reactive, we miss out on the opportunities that come by being proactive.
The first 20 minutes after we wake up is called the alpha stage. What this basically means is that the gateway to your subconscious mind is wider than it is throughout any other part of the day. That time window is when your subconscious mind is most impressionable and soaks up information like a sponge. So you can take advantage of the increased creative insight you receive and implement toward your goals and the work you want to start working on. Not only have you picked up extra time by waking up early, but you have also untapped more brainpower!
If you’re going to bed earlier and getting better quality sleep, it’s not a huge leap to imagine you’ll wake up feeling more rested and refreshed for the day ahead. Imagine getting a jump start on tasks every day, that is 7 hours per week of added productivity. Getting up early shouldn’t feel like a chore. find motivation by using the extra time to do something that makes you happy, like tackling a project earlier so you can finish your workday in time to go out with friends, or enjoying a morning meditation or yoga sesh you never have time for. By rising early, you’re rewarding yourself. Try to remember that.
Waking up early is so difficult for many because it’s a holistic lifestyle change that goes beyond just changing your waking time. Why do it? The reason for me, was able to get an extra hour of “non interrupted” work (people were not calling me yet, it was 5am), and I was able to finish work an hour earlier, which meant I could workout an hour earlier. I didn’t feel as rushed to get home to my wife and daughter because I had more time to do things I know I need to take care of, my health. The down-sides to waking up early are few and the benefits are many! I challenge you to join me on this 30 day adventure! Try it and let me know what you think in the comments. If you haven’t subscribed to my YouTube channel, consider it!
Thanks for reading, guys.
Joe
