Early Rising (Again)

[Kevy]

For the past year I have been struggling with my goal of getting up at 6:30 every morning for 30 days. I have experimented allot with it and solved allot of problems that I had with getting up at 6:30, but I can only manage to do a few days before I go back to my old ways.

It seems as if I just forget what I’m trying to achieve and as a result sabotage myself. Do you have any suggestions on how I can secretly and constantly remind myself of what I’m trying to do without having the obvious post-it stamps littered through-out my house? The reason I don’t want to use the post- it method is because I live with other people who are not really goal orientated and won’t understand why I’m striving to get up at the same time every morning. I hope you guys understand my situation and all feedback will be greatly appreciated.

I’m also going to use this thread to record my renewed attempt at this goal, Ill report back every day and let you all know how I get on.

[Tanja]

I'm sorry I didn't get from your post why you want to get up at 6:30? To work out, write your journal, meditate, have more energy and be more productive during the day,do something else?
Or is it waking up early just for the sake of waking up early? Maybe find a more motivating reason?

Good luck

[Lioness]

Steve's method worked for me.

How to Get Up Right Away When Your Alarm Goes Off


Train yourself to get up immediately when your alarm goes off through practice repetitions during the day. Then set the alarm for 6:30 every day. Don't use the snooze. With enough practice, (it didn't take much for me, actually) you will develop an automatic Pavlov's dog response to that alarm.

[faithsdaddy]

In itself, getting up early doesn't serve any purpose. Some people like to stay up late- maybe social reasons- one of my neighbours likes to gaze at the stars with a high powered telescope. Personally, I love getting up early. I'm off work at the moment, but still get up about 5ish. Only once in a while I'll have a lie in.

So... if you want to start getting up early, you need a reason. Does it serve you to get up early? If it does, then I would suggest you wake up with your alarm- no snooze button. Alarm goes off- you get up. Just like that. Don't rush. Nice and easy. I stretch out when I wake up and sit up for a few seconds before moving. The important thing is to get up. Don't lie there doing nothing for 2 minutes, or you'll want to go back to sleep.

If getting up early means you're not getting enough sleep, consider getting up just 15 minutes earlier so that your body has time to adjust to a slightly lower sleep requirement.

[taylor]

Really love and be excited about your life.

You will bound out of bed easily.

[bluestar]

Have you ever tried an experiment where you go to sleep (first ignoring any time-keeping or clocks etc) -when you are tired, and sleep util you have had enough sleep, and wake up naturally feeling rested and satisfied, then stretch and feel good, and WANT to get out of bed?

It might be interesting to try because you will get Nature's feedback on how much sleep you need to feel good.
From there, all you have to do next (returning to clocks) is fit that into a night's sleep to wake up at 6.30.

[Kevy]

Thanks for all the feedback guys. The main reason why I want to get up early is to be more productive. If I get up at the same time every day I will be able to plan my days knowing for a fact that I will be up at a certain time. This reason doesn’t seem to be motivating though. Ill ponder over it today to see if I can come up with a more motivating and powerful reason. I have tried Steve’s training technique and it has worked for me. But I think the main problem is not getting to bed early enough.

The start Date for my goal is tomorrow I’ll let you know how I get on guys.

[Neobian]

Well, getting up at alarm wasn't difficult.. it's staying awake after that and not returning to bed for me

I have trained myself to drink a large glass of lemon juice (kept by my bed side at night) upon getting up and i drink it at one go. It gets me well awake and energetic immd.

Also, my get-up goal is purposefully linked with 3 other goals so it gave me more reason to follow all of them. My brain works only in all-or-nothing mode

a. sleep at 10pm
b. sleep for 7 hrs
c. meditation at 5am <<put your best activity to start your day>>

[CoolBee]

I see you're in Ireland. So East Coast of the US is around 6am when it's about midday in Ireland.
So, simple, just set your clock to East Coast US time

[Ralphiej]

Last year I tried an experiment where I would wake up at 3am to start my day. I wrote about the experiment on my blog. It was an amazing turnaround!

You may want to try planning your morning before you got to sleep and also give yourself something to look forward to.

Another trick is to place your alarm across the room. That will force you to get up to turn it off. Keep trying until you get it!

[Kevy]

Day 1 = Failure I couldn’t get to sleep at all last night so I can’t really count this day as a success. I’m more than ready for bed tonight though so tomorrow will be a success. I’m re-setting the challenge; Day 1 will be tomorrow lol.

@ coolbee - Most weekends I might as well have my clocks set to Eastern USA Time lol

@Ralphiej - Whoa dude 3am, and I though 6:30 was a hard time to get up at. You sir have my respect. I have my alarm at the other side of the room, but I still manage to go back to bed. If i get enough sleep at night I have no problem getting up in the morning. I just can’t switch off when I go to bed.

[holyorder]

I found out that if I stuff my stomach less before I go to sleep, it is quiet easy for me to wake up early. and find out the reason you wake up early... maybe to meditate, to exercise etc. it would set you up in the mood of waking up early?

[vanderjohn]

This is gonna seem like a shameless plug, but I literally JUST wrote a post about this today. It's called The Hedonist Waking Ritual. A way to maximize consistent effectiveness and consistent pleasure in your waking ritual.

[Kevy]

Day 1 = Success I got up as soon as my alarm went off. Felt really tired but pulled through it .

@holyroder - The reason why i get up early is to get a head start on the day. Im usully most productive in the morning.

@VanderJohn - I read your article, There is some really good Ideas there man. I will give them a try, Thanks

[Lena Carpenter]

I went through a few early rising trials including a couple of really successful ones, where I got up most days for 30 days. For me the tricky part seems to be maintaining it after 30 days are over. I made two conclusions. One is that I have to be really excited about my morning routine, which is not hard with two kids because some days that's the only quiet time I'll get all day long. Two is related to number one, which is if I get through 30 days of getting up early with too much will power, then once I stop applying my will power, I will go back to my old ways. Solution? Try to make it as pleasurable for yourself as humanely possible Also, do some soul searching around the issue. Why do you want to get up early? When you don't get up early, how does that benefit you? Are you really willing to trade in that benefit for the benefit of getting up early? Like if sleeping in makes you feel like a more relaxed person, are you willing to give that up in order to get things done? Perhaps these things that you "need" to get done, you might not even care about that much, so they are not your wants, they are your "should do"s. In other words, logically you think you should want to get up early, but deep down you know that's not what you really want.

The trick is the perceived pay-off has to be way higher than the perceived sacrifice.

Hope it helps.

This is an awesome goal for sure!

[Kevy]

Day 2 = Success The amount of motivation and energy I have today is unbelievable.

@Lena Carpenter - I really do find the mornings pleasurable, I love the peace and quiet and the time it gives me to think. To me sleeping late is just a bad habit that I have ingrained since childhood. It’s becoming a destructive habit that is getting in the way of my education and is holding me back in life. I believe that if I break this habit I won’t want to go back because the benefits that getting up early will bring to my life will be worth it. You have made some really good points thanks for the feedback.

[nzmegs]

I have been thinking about this problem you are having and I realsie that for me getting up in the monring is almost always due to a feeling of obligation.

I get up because the kids need their lunches made and to be taken to school. I get up becuase i have work which needs to be completed before 9am. I get up because I don't ike the kids watching TV in the morning, I get up becuase I like to know what the weather will be doing for the day, I get up because of a million reasons and none of them because I want to.

But t he funny thig is once I am up I am fine and happy to be up.

Maybe you need to find your reasons. Have a daily commitment which you cannot break which is early in the day. the habit soon persists.

[Clint Cora]

I think you have to give yourself a big enough reason to get up at a specific time each day. For example, I want to be on the ski slopes first thing in the mornings during the winter. So this means I must get up at 6 am in order to make it up there in time. I have a big enough reason to get up at this time.

During the summers, I get up a bit later since the reason to get up earlier is no longer there.

[Kevy]

Day 3 = Success got out of bed at 6:30 on the dot

@Nzmegs – Your totally right dude, having a commitment that you can’t break early in the morning is probably the biggest motivator for people getting up early. During the week when I have to get up for college I usually don’t have much trouble getting up as I know I have to go. It’s the weekend that usually gets me. For as long as I remember I have always slept in during the weekend and thus messed my sleeping pattern up for the coming week.

[faithsdaddy]

Oi fish. Have we told you about our hazing ritual for newbies...

... only kidding Hi and welcome Just join in whenever and wherever seems good to you.

[strategicalcoach]

Keep up the great work!

I would put my alarm clock as far from my bed as I could so that I'd have to get out of bed to turn it off and then I'd head straight to brush my teeth.

Having a great reason to get up early is super helpful as well but if you're anything like me, I'd be able to justify why I should start 'tomorrow'. So I needed to incorporate the why and then implement the how.

[Kevy]

Ok I didn’t get a chance to update this over the weekend because I was at my girlfriend’s family’s holiday home. They don’t have internet there.

Day 4 = Success Got up at 6:30
Day 5 & 6 = unsuccessful

The reason I failed was because I was unprepared for the weekend but I know now what way I can solve these problems so I won’t fail due to this again. I remain committed to my Goal and will carry on even thou I have failed the past two days. I will carry on till I have completed 30 days in a row.

[AlmostGodess]

I am joining you I made it today at 6:00 and was really excited in the morning!

[Kevy]

@ almostGodess - Welcome aboard it will be nice to share this challenge with someone mabye you can keep me right lol

[AlmostGodess]

Ok, I made it at 5:30, but stayed a bit longer in bed

[ChrisGinsburg]

I've been getting up at 5am for a while now off and on. Whenever I get up at 5 I always go for a jog with my dog. My only problem is that I feel like I'm now a morning and night person which obviously isn't working out. I virtually never get to bed in time to get adequate sleep. Even worse is that sometimes my excitement for getting up early will keep me from getting to sleep.

[faithsdaddy]

Learn to nap Chris. A 20 minute head down after work should refresh you for hours.

[Kevy]

Day 7 = Success, Got up as at 6:30 as soon as my alarm went off

[AlmostGodess]

Made it at 7am only

[Kevy]

Day 8 = Success, Got up as soon as my alarm went off at 6:30. Didnt get to bed till 1 am though. An early night is on the cards for tonight

@AllmostGodess - Its just a small hiccup on you path to success. What went wrong? and what can you learn from it?