Bouncing Out of Bed with Enthusiasm
How to Finally Become a Morning Person
I stay up late every night and realize it’s a bad idea every morning.
—Unknown
The most common question I receive is from night owls. They hear me preach the benefits of waking up early and are still left with the nagging question, “As a night owl, can I really make the switch and wake up early?”
Simple answer: Only if you want to.
The time you wake up each day is not a genetic trait. It’s not part of your DNA and it’s not predetermination or fate holding your head against the pillow every morning.
Consistently waking up early is a skill, which is great news. That means you can actually improve your abilities over time, and see real progress.
In short, you can follow a simple set of steps and make the transition happen, no matter how late you currently go to bed or how early you want to wake up.
Becoming a morning person is a real thing and it’s really possible—even for you night owls.
SEVEN STEPS TO FINALLY BECOMING A MORNING PERSON
Now that I’ve convinced you that waking up early is not only worth your time, but is also a killer strategy that can lead to wild, long-term success, here are the seven steps that will take you from a late-night junkie into an early-morning fanatic.
1. DRINK THE KOOL-AID AND EMBRACE YOUR INNER FLANDERS
Ned Flanders is my favorite character from the television show, The Simpsons. Mr. Flanders is the dork of all dorks with his big glasses, annoying voice, and obscenely perky personality.
He is friendly, organized, and lives according to his “three Cs”: clean living, chewing thoroughly, and a daily dose of vitamin church. To truly become a morning person, it’s best to think like a morning person. It’s time to embrace your inner Flanders and do what he would do.
If you decide to skip this step and deny that even a small part of you really likes Mr. Flanders, you may end up waking up early for the wrong reasons. In the beginning you will be fine, but over time your progress will fade and you will likely give up. Without a passionate why in place—your deep-seated and compelling reasons for a 5:00 a.m. wake-up call—you will find any excuse to sleep in and negate the benefits that we just discussed.
It’s all about what’s at stake. If your life’s grandest goals matter to you, then bouncing out of bed with enthusiasm should matter even more.
ACTION: Let’s say you are not a fan of Mr. Flanders, but there is a successful early riser that you would love to model your life after. Use that person and drink their Kool-Aid. Become the next Thomas Jefferson or Margaret Thatcher by studying their life, habits, and successes. Follow in the footsteps of the most successful person in your industry or the person who you believe embodies an awesome future version of you.
2. TRAIN LIKE THE TORTOISE
The funny thing about making any significant life change is that it’s easy to do once. You can run a marathon without training. You can borrow money without a plan to pay it back. You can pull an all-nighter tonight and finish a big project.
The problem is that all of these short-term choices have swift and painful repercussions.
Running a marathon without training might garner you a finisher’s medal, but it will hurt worse than any pain I can imagine. You won’t walk for days and you’ll likely never run again.
Borrowing money without a payment plan leads to credit card debt, sleeping on your parents’ couch, and bankruptcy. Sounds good now, hurts big time later.
Not sleeping tonight, even if it results in massive progress on an important goal, will destroy your calendar for the next few days as you recover. I’ve experienced my fair share of all-nighters and I always regretted not planning more effectively ahead of time.
None of these are long-term solutions. All of them are impulsive and nearly useless when aggregated over time. It’s better to break large projects into tiny pieces and plan to work for the long haul.
Becoming a successful early riser is not a spontaneous or whimsical decision—it’s a way of life and a way of thinking.
If you want to succeed this week, next year, or in 50 years, you’ll need a solid plan to get you there.
ACTION: Get out your calendar and begin the shuffle. Knowing that your sleep patterns are going to change, plan ahead now for how that will look in the long run. What goals would you like to work on early in the morning? What tasks have you scheduled late at night that need adjusting?
3. SEND YOURSELF TO CAFFEINE REHAB
I love coffee. Specifically, I love a double espresso every morning. When you make the switch to an early-morning routine, you may have to temporarily adjust your daily caffeine levels.
I consider myself a bit of a caffeine addict, so I know how you feel if this sounds like an impossible task. The good news is that you don’t have to give up coffee to wake up earlier. However, if you want to make the transition easier, you may find it helpful to minimize how much you drink so that you can fall asleep earlier each night.
The earlier you fall asleep, the earlier you can wake up. The logic here is sound, but the emotional toll of less caffeine is a bit tragic. Sorry!
ACTION: Cut back on the quantity of caffeine you drink every day and set a daily boundary for caffeine consumption. For example, I only drink caffeine in the morning and don’t allow myself to have any in the afternoon so that I can fall asleep faster.
4. RESCHEDULE LATE-NIGHT ACTIVITIES
When I was in college I would routinely swing by Taco Bell for a late-night snack. I would shovel down burritos, enchiladas, and 44-ounce fountain drinks. It’s hard for me to stomach the idea of eating anything like that now, but I’m not the same person I was then.
Look at your own late-night habits and determine when they can happen earlier in the day, if at all. Watching too much TV? Cut it. Surfing Facebook until 1:00 a.m.? Not anymore. Staying out late with friends on a week night? Sorry, it’ll have to wait until Friday.
In order to make this transition as smooth as possible, simply reschedule your favorite late-night habits. You do not have to cut out television and social media forever, just refrain from gorging on large helpings after your bedtime.
ACTION: Make a list of your current late-night activities. What do you consistently do that you know you could reschedule, minimize, or stop altogether?
5. BUILD A BOUNDARY AND GET TO BED
The most effective way to wake up early is to go to bed early. The best way to ensure you stick to your bedtime is to destroy the obstacles between your busy, working self and your tired, lying-in-bed-with-your-eyes-closed self.
I created a late-night boundary just for this reason. 8:00 p.m. is my stop time. At exactly 8:00 p.m., I will turn off whatever I am working on. This includes my computer, phone, TV, iPad, and any other technology.
At this point, I would have either finished my tasks for the day or rescheduled them for another day. I would have also created my task list for tomorrow and responded to all of my emails (I’ll discuss Inbox Zero in Chapter 8). I then take a shower and grab a book to read before heading off to bed.
This evening routine is a written process. It is planned in advance, tweaked over time, and optimized so that I can get to bed on time every night without fail. Are there exceptions? Of course, but the odds of success increase dramatically with a well-planned and routinely updated structure in place.
ACTION: On paper, plan your ideal evening routine. Write out what you will do and when you will do it. If necessary, create a boundary for stopping all work for the day. Share this plan with anyone who lives with you or who likes to send you late-night tasks from the office. (Hint: Tell your boss about your new sleep schedule so he or she doesn’t keep you up until midnight.)
For a more detailed description and instructions on creating your evening routine, refer to Chapter 7 (page 59).
6. TURN BACK THE CLOCK JUST A LITTLE
This is where the shift begins. Set tomorrow’s alarm clock just 15 minutes earlier than usual and update tonight’s bedtime to 15 minutes earlier as well. This is a small baby step toward the long-term goal of waking up at your ideal time.
If your current bedtime is around 11:00 p.m. and you would like to transition to be asleep by 9:30 p.m., plan that 90-minute shift in 15-minute increments. It’s best to not even notice the transition, so don’t get up earlier until the new time feels normal.
Also, don’t worry about how long this process might take you. Just change the times when it feels right. Depending on your schedule and your body’s response to the shift, you could be up at your ideal time tomorrow, next week, or many weeks from now.
ACTION: Plan your first 15-minute time shift. Set a definite bedtime and a corresponding alarm clock time that aligns to how much sleep you need for optimal rest.
7. WAKE UP AND DO SOMETHING POSITIVE
As you transition, plan a new healthy and productive activity you will do during those 15 minutes. If all you do is wake up earlier to continue with the same routine you have always done, nothing will have changed except the times you were asleep. The goal here is increased productivity and tangible results.
You could spend those extra 15 minutes doing any habit that makes sense to you, but I would recommend you initially focus on something you have been missing out on. If you love yoga but can’t seem to make the time, then practice yoga for 15 minutes tomorrow. By doing something you love, you will end up appreciating that time way more than you might imagine.
To begin, make a list of morning habits you would like to adopt, or habits you can reschedule from later in the day to first thing. Some of the best morning habits are ones that help you wake up with energy and a positive frame of mind. I recommend choosing something calm and peaceful, like meditation, prayer, or reading a positive book.
Alternatively, you could move your body right away through Pilates, a brisk walk or run, and a few rapid-fire push-ups. I have found that incorporating a short but intense workout in my morning routine is a surefire way to transition to an earlier wake-up time. If you want to make your transition easier, more effective, and faster, be sure to schedule a workout in your morning routine.
ACTION: Plan the healthy habit you will do with your new 15 minutes of freed-up time. You don’t have to choose just one. You could cycle through a list of habits you would like to do less often than once a day, like “Meditation Mondays” or “Trail Run Tuesdays.”
If you tend to describe yourself as a masochist and the idea of a gradual transition to an early morning lifestyle seems painfully slow to you, I have a solution.
Repeat all seven steps that I just described with one major exception: Modify step 6 so that you wake up at your ideal time tomorrow morning.
With this simple change you will feel like every international traveler: jet lagged, wickedly tired, and happy to have finally made it.
The first few days are going to hurt, but it won’t last long. I recommend scheduling those first few days with tasks and projects that don’t require a lot of brain power (and maybe even take a few days off work). Catch up on household chores, mindless tasks, and anything you can do by yourself. Consider it a favor to your family and coworkers that you are working out your fatigue and bitterness without them.
Don’t forget to adjust your bedtime according to your sleep needs and new wake-up time. You may also find that it’s easier than ever to fall asleep early now that you are desperate for a little shut-eye.
Q: How long will this transition take?
A: It’s totally up to you. With the quick-and-dirty method, you can be up at 5:00 a.m. tomorrow, or you can slowly transition over the course of weeks or months. Depending on your schedule and how determined you are to make an early morning part of your lifestyle, this can happen whenever it works best for you.
Q: Do I have to wake up early seven days a week? What about the weekends?
A: Here’s the beauty of The 5 AM Miracle at work. No, you certainly don’t have to wake up early every single morning. Being intentional with your time is the name of the game, which means you can wake up whenever you want.
However, if you really want to become a thriving morning person, your sleep schedule should be as consistent as possible. If you normally wake up at 5:00 a.m. on weekdays, then waking up at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday would throw off your internal clock in a big, bad way. I’m not recommending you throw out your social calendar and become a hermit on Friday nights, but if productivity matters to you, there will be sacrifices.
The good news is that you can be flexible and still maintain positive habits over time.
Q: What’s the minimum number of hours you think that I should sleep? Won’t I be more productive if I sleep less to maximize my day?
A: Though I’m not a sleep doctor, I can say with certainty that everyone is a little different when it comes to how much rest they need to recover fully each day. My wife, Tessa, needs a considerable amount of sleep, ranging between 9 and 11 hours per night. I only need about 7 to 8 to feel well rested and ready for the day.
You likely already know your body and know how much sleep you need to wake up refreshed. The goal is to get that ideal amount of sleep as often, and as consistently, as possible.
Your daily productivity will become a horrible disaster if you sacrifice sleep for too long. Accomplishing your life’s grandest goals is a long-term game. Sometimes a short-term sacrifice is worth it, but sleep is a magical thing. Do your best to maintain a healthy rhythm of rest and your body will thank you.
Q: If I go to sleep late, should I wake up early even if I didn’t sleep the minimum number of hours?
A: I love this question because it’s indicative of the desire to stay committed to your goals. The problem with waking up early in this scenario is that it backfires quickly.
You will likely never hear me tell someone to wake up at sunrise after going to bed well after midnight. It just doesn’t add up.
What ends up happening is massive sleep deprivation, regret, and a serious lack of productivity. When you lose sleep you also lose the ability to think clearly, make intelligent decisions, and stay primed to do your best work.
When you find yourself in this unfortunate circumstance, sleep in. Get the rest you need and return to your normal early mornings over the course of the next few days.
Q: What if I wake up late? Have I missed my chance to be productive? How should I approach the rest of my day?
A: Waking up late is going to happen. It happens to everyone, including me. The goal is not to avoid waking up late, but rather to optimize the hours you are awake.
Though you won’t miss your chance to be productive if you wake up late, you will likely miss a few key habits you have established for yourself early in the day. What works best is to let it go. Be okay with missing your morning workout today and move on.
There will likely be other chances later in the day to make up anything you missed that morning, and you can always get back on track tomorrow.
Never let any one individual day dictate your overall goal trajectory. Stay focused on the big picture and getting back to your routine as soon as you can.
Q: What about the rest of my family? What if I’m married, or have kids, roommates, dogs, and three pet gorillas at home? How do I get up early in my busy home?
A: There are two answers to this question. First, if you have pet gorillas at home, Wow! I need to meet you. Second, living with other people who are on different schedules than we are is not an excuse to sleep in or slack off on our own goals.
We all have battles to fight, obstacles to overcome, and bizarre circumstances to navigate. In the few years after college, I moved across the country to work over 70 hours a week between two jobs while running marathons and starting a side business. I know what it’s like to be busy.
I have also thrived in various seasons of my life when I lived with my family, various roommates, and even 30 fraternity brothers in a party house that never slept. I know what it’s like to navigate my goals and schedule around other people.
Sitting back and passively letting something stand between you and your goals is a choice. At the same time, it’s natural and healthy to acknowledge where you are in life. There are seasons, trends, and temporary situations that may prevent you from having the ideal life you want.
At the same time, to quote Albert Einstein, “In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” There will always be solutions buried in the chaos. There will always be amazing ways to make progress that you never saw before but that now seem to shine brightly because you changed your perspective.
Whenever I feel stuck or burdened by my circumstances, I look for the new perspective. I ask myself, “What am I missing? If I absolutely had to, how could I solve this problem?”
If you ask the question, the answer always appears. It may not be what you want to hear, but it’s there.
Assuming you have followed the seven steps and transitioned to an early-morning routine (or are about to get started), what should you be doing with your precious, new early morning hours?
In Chapter 7 (page 59) I will outline a few simple steps to structure your ideal morning routine from top to bottom. We will look at examples of great routines, discuss how to align your morning routine with bigger life goals, and put your routine through the gauntlet to guarantee it is the best it can be.
Before we get to the specifics of your 5 a.m. miracle, in the next few chapters we are going to explore the heart and soul of your new productive life with The 5 AM Blueprint.
Waking up early is the face of this book, but an early-morning routine is merely one piece of a bigger system, one that has the potential to transform your entire life into a goal-achieving machine.
KILL THE SNOOZE BUTTON
Pitfalls, Mistakes, and Problems to Avoid
All right, here it is—no more snoozing.
There’s a good reason why I named these segments “Kill the Snooze Button.” Snooze buttons are the greatest metaphor for beginning your day backward.
The norm for most people is starting off each morning with the decision to procrastinate by smacking their alarm clock and delaying the decision to bounce out of bed and dominate their day.
Snoozing inadvertently becomes a reactive choice, which leads to further reactivity. When you begin the day reacting to your environment instead of proactively shaping it, you find yourself on the defensive. Everything is a fire to be put out, a problem to be solved immediately, and in a very short timespan, you can find yourself overwhelmed, stressed out, and behind schedule.
Where did the time go?
Why did I forget to meditate, run, or read my favorite book?
What happened this morning?
The snooze button creates this scenario and furthers the belief that mornings are awful, when in fact it is the way we approach our day that needs a massive transformation.
My recommendation is simple: Stop snoozing altogether. Wake up and get up.
No more snoozing.
No more sleeping in past your predetermined wake-up call.
No more delaying the beauty of the morning and the opportunity to accomplish your grandest goals.
This is the beginning.
Tomorrow you will thank me.
QUICK REVIEW: NIGHT OWL TO EARLY RISER
1. Find your own Ned Flanders, follow in his or her footsteps, and embrace your inner morning person.
2. Like a tortoise, you are in this for the long run. Prepare now for the journey to come.
3. I love caffeine too, but it’s time for a mini break. Cut back on the coffee for just a bit.
4. Trips for burritos at midnight are out. Identify all of your late-night habits that need adjusting.
5. Set a firm boundary and make your evenings count. Waking up early depends on going to bed early.
6. Begin the shift. Set your alarm clock for your new wake-up call. Slowly transition or jump in feet first—your call.
7. There’s great power in a great workout. To make this shift easier, plan now to exercise in your new early morning.
1. Create an effective set of evening rituals (including going to bed earlier than usual) and then do those rituals tonight.
2. Set tomorrow morning’s alarm 15 minutes earlier than usual.
Your current time:
Your new time:
3. Decide on one new ritual you are going to do in that 15 minutes.
Your new ritual: