I wake up very early. I’m usually in my office working by 5:15, and that’s after running through my morning routine that lasts about an hour. I’ve been doing this since I graduated from college because it was the best time I could find to work out. However, since daughter was born three years ago, I go to the office to get as much done as possible so I can take her to the gym with me later in the day – she loves my gym’s kiddie care.
Sometimes people ask me about my sleeping habits (I also take a nap every afternoon). It’s funny how sleep becomes such a hot topic after turning 40. My first comment is always: “I love to sleep. Waking up is painful – there is nothing I like about it.” However, my life is most enjoyable when I’m getting up early. I’ve decided that I’m going to be an early riser, no matter what it takes. Below are three techniques that help me get out of bed. Admittedly, the third idea is insane and I don’t use it anymore, but it was a huge assistance for the first year of shifting to an early wake-up call.
- Exaggerate the negative effects of hitting the snooze button. Stephen Covey made popular the statement “Between stimulus and response, there is a gap. Within that gap lies your destiny.” If I were to hit the snooze button, I’d set the tone for the rest of the day. I’d be setting the pattern with my very first decision of the day to damage long term outcomes for short term satisfaction. This isn’t just about eating a cookie after smelling it’s aroma, it’s also about taking the time to explain to my daughter why she can’t watch TV all day when my impulse would be satisfied by letting her sit there and get lost in Mickey’s Clubhouse. I consider waking up on the first alarm the most important decision I make all day. When the alarm goes off or I wake up naturally at 4:06, I don’t have the wits to argue with my instinct at that time of the morning. It’s been embedded in me that getting up is critical to my happiness, and I do it.
- Take a short nap every day. On days in which I struggle waking up, I think about my nap later that day and it gets me downstairs to the hot coffee that started brewing about 10 minutes earlier (I hope you caught that fourth tip I just snuck in there). A nap offers many benefits to me, but the one relevant to this topic is that it gives me hope that I’ll be able to hit the sack later in the day. As I’m rolling out of bed quietly so I don’t wake up the others, I tell myself “you’ll be back here in a few hours to enjoy your nap”, and it works.
Sleeping for less than seven hours makes me tired, so a short nap in the afternoon helps me get through the day full of energy. It’s my routine, and it works. When I’m traveling, I adjust and have other techniques to make sure I don’t fall asleep at 2:15 in a conference room full of people, but more than 90% of my days include a nap.
Most articles I’ve read suggest 20 minutes for a nap. More than 20 minutes will bring you too deep into your sleeping pattern and make you groggy. I set my phone alarm to 11 minutes. I don’t know why – I’ve tried everything and 11 minutes works for me.
- Place an Oreo near the bedroom door. Ok, stay with me here – don’t stop reading. This is going to sound ridiculous, and it is. However, this trick got me from being the typical 7:30 miserable riser to the point where I’m half way through my day that time. Without this technique, I never would’ve made it.
Place an Oreo near your door. Ideally, place your alarm next to the Oreo, but that might not be the most popular decision if you’re married. Once the alarm sounds, walk over to the Oreo and eat it. What do you desire after eating an Oreo? Milk. Where is the milk? It’s in the kitchen next to the coffee maker.
Yes, this is a crazy strategy and it’s possible that I just lost a couple dozen subscribers. However, it’s no crazier than lying in bed hitting a snooze button three times every single morning.
I love waking up early and consider it one of the habits that have provided me a good life. Try these techniques. Heck, just try them for three straight weeks and see what happens. It’ll be a terrible few days initially, but you might change a behavior that completely shifts your life.
