Let it Flow

A few years ago, I had a stressful job and waking in the morning was a chore. I was tired, frustrated and a complainer. “I don’t have enough time!” I would say. Commuting, cooking, workouts, cleaning, when was there any time for fun? How could I fit it all in? I also enjoyed sleeping in on weekends and became known for telling people “No calls before 10am on Saturday or Sunday.” This was no way to lead a satisfied life and I was getting tired of listening to myself.

At the time my husband recommended I read The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari by Robin Sharma. The book is a fable about fulfilling dreams and reaching destiny. A little hokey perhaps, but at the time it was the perfect book for me. I was ready for a change.

This book was the spark I needed to change my morning wake up routine. Long story short, I made a promise to myself to stop being so miserable about work, and start waking up for ME. This shift changed everything. I had a newfound satisfaction for my life, began to think more clearly about my work situation and create an exit plan. For the first time in a long time I felt energized! Exercise took place before work, allowing me time at night to play, cook or simply relax. I no longer felt rushed during the day or like I was sleeping my life away.

These days I wake up no later than 5:30am even on weekends. It’s a change I committed to for the long haul. I love the quiet and the sound of birds chirping. It’s the perfect time to meditate, write my morning pages and enjoy a cup of coffee. This is MY time to start my day clear and focused. I have passion for getting out of bed each day, regardless of what’s to come, because I enjoy these activities. I truly look forward to it.

The road to waking early isn’t always smooth. I learned that I had to be committed to, patient with and ready for the change. Believe it or not, waking up early lead to other wonderful opportunities in my life. Changing my thoughts around waking early helped adjust my thoughts about other areas of my life. The benefits of waking earlier have been tremendous personally and professionally. The following points helped me succeed in changing my wake up habits. I hope they help you as you begin to change yours.

• Find your passion – Whether it’s time with your kids, your spouse, or time for yourself, have passion around what you wake up to. I have a friend who enjoys eating breakfast at home before leaving for work. I wake to meditate and write. What are you passionate about? Find it, spend time doing it, and who knows, maybe the rest of your day becomes more pleasant.

• Get support – if you live with other people, let them know this is your plan. I told my husband that waking early was something I needed to do for me, and that I needed his support. Living alone? Maybe you can find a friend to check in with once in a while. This is something you do for you, and support and accountability can help the process.

• Start slow – If you currently wake at 8am, setting the alarm for 6am right away may not work. Consider starting with 10 or 15-minute increments and work your way to your final goal. I found that sticking to one time for a week before changing worked well (ie, wake at 7:45 for a week before moving the alarm to 7:30).

• Be consistent – A habit forms in 21 to 30 days (figure on 30). In order to make it happen you have to do it everyday. No skipping, which is why I wake early on the weekends. I found keeping a journal to log my progress helpful. I also enjoyed all that I was getting done during the day with this extra time.

Have you succeeded in changing your wake up habits? What tips could you share? Add them in the comments below.

Tags: Food for thought, Inspiration and Motivation, Stress //