“Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise
Ben Franklin
Wait…
Before that, why should I get up early in the morning.
Ask the famous question – What is in it for me?
Now, if you are a night owl and it works for you…Great. There is no reason to change if you are happy with it.
But for me getting up early is like a godsend gift and enjoy getting up early in the morning.
Some of top 10 personal benefits are:
1) Greet the day – I welcome the day with gratitude, compassion & cosmic energy. I practice lots of breath techniques in the early morning which we will discuss later.
2) Amazing start – I kick start my day in an amazing way by reconditioning & reprogramming my mind with positive affirmations. The alpha-theta brain waves at this time is very good for self-affirmation.
3) Silence – Early morning is one of the best time to practice silence & meditation. I have been meditating for more than 25 years from now.
4) Sunrise – I watch & allow the morning sun rise to pass through me. Today enough scientific evidence linked to the early morning electro magnetic waves to the long term health.
5) Exercise – My body is my temple and It is my personal responsibility to take care of this machine. Wealth again, property again, relationships again, happiness again, but never never body again. This is my time to practice my yoga.
6) Reading – I read every day – motivational, management,spiritual or philosophical. I read at-least 200 pages every day. I am pretty consistent with this habit for the past 10 years. I would have consumed few thousands books in this time period.
7) Writing – I am still in this process of enhancing my writing capabilities. I generally write for my blog or my facebook updates early in the morning. The flow & thoughts are fresh & creative.
8) Productivity – I am most productive in the early morning. I would complete almost 90% of my day task in the morning itself. Actually I have more time in my life to spend with my family.
9) Prioritize – I utilize the morning hours to prioritize & schedule my day. I know exactly when I have meetings, appointments or free time.
10) Family – I help my kids & wife to get them ready to leave for school & work. It gives such an immense happiness to watch them grow in front of your own eyes.
Wokay, Let’s get to the topic, How to get up early…
Some simple & practical tips
Do not make changes drastically – Start slowly by waking up 15-30 minutes earlier than you are right now. Do not get excited and try to get 1-2 hours before your regular time. The body & mind needs some time to readjust to your new behaviour.
Sleep earlier – I suggest going to bed earlier, even if you do not get sleep. Try reading some book until then.
Put your alarm clock slightly away from your reach so that you don’t press the snooze button and sleep again.
Get out of your bedroom as soon as you get up
Write some positive affirmations and stick it on the wall where you will face once you get up. Continue to mentally chant. This will prevent your inner voice nagging you to go back to bed.
Get Excited – You need to have something to do in the morning. This gives you the motivation to get up. You should have a reason to get up. Find this strong compelling reason to get up. This is the key to get up early in the morning.
Reward yourself – You need to create a self appreciation system for getting up in the morning. I enjoy the entire process of preparing & drinking my own coffee. It’s a complete mindful coffee meditation for me.
Take advantage of the extra time you have now – Yoga, Exercise, Breathing, Meditate, Visualize, Write, Read, Plan & Prioritize etc etc.
Watch the Sky – It is beautiful, It is peaceful, It is quiet. Welcome & Enjoy the new day!
Break the habit – Once in a week, break this habit and allow yourself to sleep for little longer, until the day you get up early without any alarm or reason. The mind needs little bit of cajoling & coaxing.
Getting up early is one of the biggest reward & gift in my life.
Please note: I reserve the right to delete comments that are offensive or off-topic.