30 days of getting up before the sun. My night-owl brain rebelled at the idea, but at the same time, I believed it was key to getting important things done every day.
The Challenge
The challenge to myself was to craft and implement an early-morning routine. This was created because I wanted to have consistent time to read non-fiction, write, and do some basic self-care activities like journaling and stretching every morning.
Lessons Learned
There were a few things I learned throughout the month. Some surprised me, and some helped me stick to this routine.
- Consistency is key. A long time ago my stepfather told me that it was important to get up at the same time every day. I could go back to bed after an hour, if necessary, but I had to keep up the practice. I found that some days I had to drag myself out of bed to start the routine – particularly during my staycation. It became easier to do the routine the longer I did it, even when really tired.
- I feel productive. Sometimes the only time I have to myself during the day is in the early morning. Making sure I get my early morning tasks done gave me a sense of satisfaction that lasted the whole day.
- I got an enormous amount done. I am still surprised at how many non-fiction books I read (three) and how much writing I got done, both on my novel and for the blog. These are activities that I struggled to find time for before, and the results piled up.
- Make it my own. As I mentioned in earlier posts, in order to make this work, I had to craft a timed routine that covered the things I find important. I couldn’t use Hal Elrod’s SAVERS or anyone else’s routine out of the box. Only when I put my tasks in did this take off. Otherwise it was just another set of tasks to check off.
- Timers are key. Without setting target times for the list, the items were just there to be checked off with minimal effort. Setting specific times for the activities allowed me to make progress, even when the time was as short as 15 minutes.
- Bedtime is key. I still struggle with getting enough sleep, and while I can force myself to do the morning routine while tired, it works much better if I am well-rested.
Modifications
From the original list I posted at the beginning of the month (see [Insert Link]), I haven’t changed the activities, but I have changed the order.
I was finding that after I came back upstairs after seeing my daughter off and reading the comics, I wasn’t doing the stretching and journaling consistently. One way I tried to fix this was to review my daily plan before going downstairs. I have a list that contains a reminder to do these items stuck to my planner, and this seems to give me enough of a boost to get it done.
Conclusion
I have really enjoyed the results of doing this challenge, although it was difficult at times. The feeling of satisfaction of getting tasks done otherwise hard time find time outweighs the difficulty of hauling my carcass out of the bed each morning.
