The early bird gets the worm. The age old saying, it is a saying that I certainly don’t disagree with, except my breakfast normally consists of eggs, ham, and the occasional bacon, I don’t find worms to be a delicacy that I enjoy. Those of you who know me well, know that I am not a stranger to going to bed early and waking up before some people have even gone to sleep. I believe going to bed early, and waking up early is an invaluable tool for me, and maybe others, to find success. There are many practical, mental, and maybe some artificial benefits to doing so. In my experience I have found that following such a routine has lead to a more positive mindset when approaching the day, more motivation to further improve oneself, and a greater feeling of accomplishment and fulfillment at the end of the day.
When you begin to wake up early, you will be quick to find that when your alarm goes off, you will find your pillow, blanket, and mattress are suddenly much more comfortable and feel more indulging. You have to overcome that, you have to tell yourself that you have what it takes to start this day off with success. If you allow yourself that time to hit the snooze button and fall back to sleep, you loose. Jocko Willink is a retired Navy Seal Officer who often says discipline equals freedom. In this situation, I believe he is right. You need to have the discipline required to take control of your own life.
Soon after beginning a regiment of rising early, you will soon find that your mindset changes from “I hope life isn’t to hard on me today” to one of “I hope life is ready for what I am going to throw at it today”. The trick is to remember that you are in control. NO ONE else in this world is more invested in your success than you. It’s a fundamental principal to life. We were born to want to succeed, so stop thinking the rest of the world can control you. As soon as you accomplish this mindset, you will begin to enjoy your mornings, then your afternoons, and finally your evenings. All of this because you took that first step in getting out of bed in the morning.
I am horrible at going to the gym. I can make all the excuses in the world, but I have the time and have the resources to go. This changes though when I rise early. Waking up early has offered me that small dopimine rush that comes from that small win. Naturally I want that rush to continue. One way to do so is by saying it would feel great to go to the gym. At that point I have the ownership of the situation, because I took the discipline to get up, and those feelings of not wanting to go, and the excuses that come with it, are easily overpowered by that desire to better myself.
All of this comes full circle at the end of the day. The end of the day used to be a time where I didn’t do much. I had little to no productivity, and it was surely not tackling any accomplishments. I found that when I had started the day by winning, and continuing to have incremental wins through the day that I wanted to continue that mindset. Now instead of sitting down, eating an unhealthy snack, and watching mindless entertainment, I would do things to better myself. I would do the dishes, not because I wanted them done now, but because in the morning I would feel better having done them. I would read a book because I could learn more from it and be more fulfilled when it is over. I would reach for a bag of carrots not because the chips weren’t tempting, but because I would thank myself later.
It is not possible to gain success from one event. Success happens incrementally. Failure is inevitable, but at the end of the day, you want to have more wins than losses. Much of this for me has been gained by waking up early. Of course I know that this lifestyle won’t work for everyone, but this is my take on the matter.