I discovered that waking up early was the best way to start my day. Apparently, I’m not alone in this realization, as there are many stories about Tim Cook, Jeff Bezos, and many others that believe in welcoming the sun.
Why? It’s a very productive time with the ability to determine priorities before someone or something dictates them for you. And you can own your day.
Everybody needs personal time like this, but not everyone sees the need for this to occur so early in the morning.
Here are a few reasons why early rising can be beneficial for you.
It provides no distractions
When you’re up early, your living space is quiet and it’s pitch black outside. Outside, the air is fresh and crisp, and the scene is peaceful and serene.
Early rising provides the opportunity to be alone and disconnected from everyone else. This morning tranquility generates a level of physical and mental quietness that provides clarity and no distractions. With this freedom, you have the unrestricted space to get an early start on whatever you want to do, whether it be work-related or a personal activity.
It provides more time
Early risers are one step ahead of the crowd: calm and collected when everyone else is rushing. Stressing out, scrambling to prepare for work, or arriving to work late—these negative feelings aren’t applicable when one is up that early.
Rushing through your day creates unnecessary inefficiencies and the likelihood of being sloppy. Being up before everyone else gives you time for planning, strategic thinking, and getting organized.
It unleashes your creativity
Early rising shouldn’t just be about getting a jump on everyone else. It’s also about unleashing your creativity.
This morning time allows you to think through tough decisions in a more thoughtful manner, considering all the dependencies and consequences rather than just routinely completing tasks and moving on to the next. Your brain has the capacity to process more complicated problems and see around corners, if only you give it some quiet time.
With nobody to interrupt you to make a claim on your time or attention, your mind can roam free. This is when some of your best ideas can come into fruition.
It allows you to invest in yourself
Yes, being an early riser requires going to bed early, around 10:00pm. It does create somewhat of a scarcity in your day, but that forces a rigor and discipline in your life. If you want to be better than everybody else, you have to be different than everybody else.
The goal is not to fill morning time with mundane tasks, it’s about focusing on yourself. When you’re up that early, you have the opportunity to do things that enable continued learning and growth, and it doesn’t have to revolve around work. You could spend time cooking yourself a healthy breakfast. Perhaps there’s a local gym you’ve been meaning to join and start a regimen. Or maybe there’s a critically acclaimed book that’s waiting for you to open and dive into.
Whatever your goals are, you have to make the time to invest in yourself, and this is the time.
The magic is in the early morning. When the day is quiet, our minds are naturally clear, and our tendency is to focus inward. If you embrace extreme early rising, the benefits are significant.