Entrepreneurs get up early, they take hold of the day early on and get more done before 9 AM than your average desk jockey. We’re told to be like them, to emulate the successful, and for God’s sake get out of bed early!
So that’s what we do. We set our clocks for 5 AM, and steel ourselves for the inevitable blaring alarm. It’s on our minds as we drift off into a fitful sleep. “I have to be up at 5.” You’ve even planned for an early rise and you’re confident that you can get everything done early. So what’s the problem? Perhaps nothing for the first couple of days, then suddenly it gets harder and harder to pull yourself out of bed at that time.
To combat the issue you’ll read a number of blog articles about the steps you need to follow.
- Do it gradually
- Rely on coffee
- Bug a friend to make sure you get up
- Maintain your early schedule even on weekends AND NEVER SLEEP IN AGAIN!
The list goes on and on and every blogger seems to have his own take on how to do it (wink:wink ;))
So here you go, my take on how to get up early, and my promise is that it will be the easiest method you’ve ever followed.
REDEFINE WHAT EARLY MEANS TO YOU
That’s it! Let’s go through this a little.
If you drag yourself out of bed and fumble for the coffee at an early hour, all the while feeling the weight of your eyelids, then you’re not really an early riser.
If you wake up refreshed at 8 AM, 3 hours after sleeping through your alarm, only to run around and feel behind schedule all day, then you’re not really an early riser.
If you’re awake until 1 AM and fully plan on getting up at 5 AM, then you’re not really an early riser.
You’re an entrepreneur, your work depends on being as productive as possible. That’s why you need to follow your own schedule and not those of popular or successful others. Don’t be a sheepreneur!
How do you define your meaning of early?
- Take an honest look at your sleeping habits.
- Take the quiz to determine your chronotype and discover your best sleep cycle and more.
- Set your bedtime and your wake up to give you at least 6 to 7 hours of sleep.
After these steps it’s all about productivity. Schedule your day to begin no earlier than 2 hours after your wake up time to allow ample time to eat and prep.
Let’s face it though, we all have slip ups. If you still manage to sleep through your alarm despite redefining your early, take a look here for tips on how to get your day back on track.
So what does early mean to you? Do you follow the 5 AM rule, or are you a bear like me? Seriously though, take the chronotype quiz to know why I’m a bear.
FreemanFrancis 