I’ve been on a mini self-development kick lately, reading lots good stuff over at StevePavlina.com, listening to some Tony Robbins material, and chatting with my buddy Duff about “state management.” Part of what’s come out of this latest surge of interest was a commitment to waking up early. I read a simple and helpful article over on Steve’s site entitled, How to Become an Early Riser, and began getting up at 6am each morning around five days ago. So far, so good. I was tired for the first few days, but am feeling great now. But why am doing this? Well because…
- I can get up, shower, and sit for an hour, all before 8am. This will really be helpful when I start going back to school next month, as many of my classes start at 9am.
- I feel more productive and alert in the mornings, so extending that time seemed to make a lot of sense.
- I get an extra hour or two a day of waking time. I had been waking up between 7-8 prior to this, but find that I actually don’t need that much sleep. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if I was oversleeping, and that was having a negative impact on my energy level.
- Since I spend an average of one month each year on retreat, and during retreats generally wake up pretty early (usually at 5am), this schedule gives me a leg up on transitioning into the retreat rhythm.
It’s amazing how such a simple change can have such a helpful effect. I’ll follow up on this in a few weeks, and let you know if there are any other changes I notice as a result of getting up a bit early, especially as it relates to my meditation practice and energy level.
