How to Get Up Early

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Sometimes it seems that for an Uncommoner, there is never enough time in the day. Whether you are transitioning into your uncommon vocation or working on developing a new aspect of your Uncommon Life, there is always something you can’t wait to do, but usually have to put off because your day is already full.

Or, if you make your own schedule, you may find that you are getting into a habit of rising later than you would like. No matter what your concern, if you feel like you just need a few more hours in your day, then getting up early may be the answer you’ve been looking for.

If you’re like me, you just rolled your eyes at that last sentence and muttered, “yeah, right.”  I can tell you that getting up early is not something I’m naturally good at.  However, I can also tell you that getting up early on a regular basis has not only increased my productivity, but also my mood, energy, and creativity levels.

I remember the first month after I left my corporate job to start life as a writer, I slept until at least 11am every day.  I chalked that up to recuperation after of getting up and commuting at 6am every morning to drag myself to a job I hated.  But after a few more months went by with me rarely being out of bed by 10am, I realized that something had to change.

I wanted to quit my old job to do all the things I didn’t get a chance to do while working a strict schedule, and while sleep surely was one of those things it wasn’t the only thing.  Continually sleeping late meant that I didn’t get going until early afternoon, and due to the distractions of family, friends, and my boyfriend, many days I would find that by 8pm I still hadn’t made a dent in what I wanted to do for the day.

I knew there were so many things I wanted to incorporate into my day, like exercise and pleasure reading, yet never had the chance because I was always behind the ball with work.  And I needed to work to pay my bills, or else I would be forced back into 9-5. So with that sinister threat in mind I made up my mind to start getting up early on a daily basis.

My first attempted was reasonable: I went to bed at 9pm with the intent of getting up around 5:30am, and when my alarm went off I snoozed until 10am.  Perplexed, I tried this method a few more times with no improvement.

Then I decided that maybe I was a night owl, and was better fit to work at night and sleep late.  The first night I tried that, I failed miserably by passing out around 10pm, and didn’t have much better luck the following nights.

Was I just lazy? Was it my low thyroid function? I had no idea what I was doing wrong and was about to throw the whole idea out the window until I realized how foolish I was being.  When you need advice on how to do something new, what do you do? You ask the experts.  If you want to fix your car you don’t just get under the hood and start pulling at random wires, you take it to a mechanic to hear what they have to say.  So I decided to get a few expert opinions.

Using Peter Shankman’s fabulous Help a Report Out (HARO) query system, I had the chance to interview over 50 entrepreneurs who get up early on a daily basis  to get the most out of their days. I’ve been following these tips and tricks and can say it has tremendously changed not only my wake up time but also the amount of things I’m able to accomplish in the day.

So Here is the best advice from people who know to help you squeeze a little more productivity, success, and peace out of your Uncommon days!

Have a Routine

Establishing a routine for your bedtime and initial morning tasks is a key tip that many habitual early risers shared with me.  Ellen Delap, owner of Professional-Organizer.com said, “To get up early, I set a regular bedtime of 10:30 so I get 8 hours of sleep.  I credit having a great routine as a way to promote productivity in the morning if it is not natural to you.  Get up, get going and get on to your task to maximize the time and effort.”

Daniel Keller, writer and media producer at Get It In Writing, Inc is also a fan of a morning routine:

My morning…typically includes a quiet cup of coffee, followed by a swim or other aerobic routine.  I find that there few minutes for myself before the rest of my family are awake, before the phone starts to ring and the emails come pouring in make all the difference in my accomplishments for the rest of the day.  When I’m up early, I typically notice around 10 or 11am that I’ve already gotten quite a bit done.

A key aspect of routine is coffee – don’t underestimate the power of caffeine! Sara Dobie, the Public Relations Coordinator for Sylvan Dell Publishing owns two coffee pots and an express machine.  She suggests buying a pot with an alarm so you will smell coffee brewing when you first wake up.  “As soon as that smell hits your nose,” she said, “Voila!”

Pretend the “Snooze” Feature Doesn’t Exist

A common piece of advice that most of the interviewees shared was to never ever allow yourself to hit snooze. Sarah Gordon, a Public Relations specialist in NYC told me, “I think the only reason I am able to get out of bed so early is because I don’t allow myself to even consider pressing snooze.”

Joshua Steimle, the CEO of the internet marketing firm MWI also ignores the snooze button: “For getting up early, I’ve only found one rule that works – when the alarm goes off, get up.  The snooze button must go unused, and turning the alarm off is not an option unless I’m already up.”

The best thing you can do to avoid hitting the snooze in the morning is to not allow yourself to make decisions at that time.  Professional Photographer Chris Corradino says, “I won’t allow myself to make decisions in the morning, because if I did, I would likely rationalize why I should go back to bed.  The only thought I allow is “feet on the floor, out of bed.”

Exercise Creates Inertia

As Elizabeth Brown, Registered Dietitian and Certified Holistic Chef notes, early morning exercise helps create inertia for the rest of your day. “I find that by getting up early to exercise, I get more done each day.  I relate it to inertia: a body in motion stays in motion.  It also helps me sleep more soundly: a body a rest remains at rest.”

Steimle of MWI also cites early morning exercise as key to his success:

Getting up early and exercising for 2-3 hours gets me off to a good start in the morning, and it seems like I have a lot more energy throughout the day. Because of this extra time commitment every morning I seem to manage my time better during the day, because I know I can’t work late or else I won’t get to bed early, and then I’ll be tired during my workout the next morning. Is it just coincidence that over the past two years as I’ve been getting up earlier and exercising I’ve also seen my business finally become profitable? You can make your own conclusions, but I know my daily schedule has made a huge difference.

Most other people I asked also associated a good workout in the morning with higher energy levels throughout the day.  Mischell Brookins, president of Elite Wellness, says that early morning exercise has scientific support for why it helps you throughout the day.  “One of my biggest tips is to exercise to get the blood flowing.  This increases blood to the frontal lobe of the brain and can increase your ability to pay attention.”

However, Alan Rider, a Publisher for Xtrordinary Media notes that with increased exercise you may need a little pick me up later on in the day. “I find exercise helps a lot with my schedule; a good intense workout every morning  give me energy to keep going all day long.  Yet I’m a big fan of napping; if I can squeeze even a quick nap in before dinner I find I’m much more available to my wife and child after dinner.”

Be Authentic To You

The truth is, like everything in an Uncommon Life, you need to find what is really authentic to you and the lifestyle you desire.  As Kelly McMenamin of PixiesDidIt.com says, “My advice to clients is that you should build your life around who you are.  If you have more energy in the morning than you do in the evening, carve out that time for your priorities.  But, if you are more energized in the evenings, carve out that time for your priorities and get or create a job that [meets that schedule].”

I couldn’t have said it better!  Thanks to all the great entrepreneurs who shared their advice with me, and happy rising to all you Uncommoners out there!

Here’s to your Uncommon Life,

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Tagged as: entrepreneur, exercise, get up early, Productivity, uncommoner