How to Become a Morning Person

I know. You read the title of this article and started laughing at me. “Me? A morning person?! You’re kidding, right?”

I know. I feel you.

On days like these past few days, where it’s cold and cloudy, I did not want to get out bed.

I just want to snuggle deeper into my pillows and pull the covers up higher.

This may sound weird, but I’ve always wanted to know why people are okay with being a morning person.

I mean, who wants to get up super early?

Answer: hustlers who want to get a lot of stuff done. People who get up early are the ones who want to reach their dreams faster. How? By creating more productive hours in their day.

What’s their secret though? Are they part-robot? Have secret powers? Access to unlimited amounts of coffee?

Answer: They go to bed early and get up early to get things done. Getting in the zone is easier when everyone around you is still asleep. No distractions. Just 100% pure focus. Totally makes sense.

So today, I thought I’d share three ways on how you can slowly morph into becoming a morning person. I promise it won’t be painful.

GRATITUDE

Begin your mornings with gratitude.

WHY: An attitude of gratitude increases your appreciation rather than expectation. When you come from a place of appreciation, your day starts on a more positive note. If you roll out of bed angry and expect a bad day to happen, it’ll happen.

ACTION STEP: From the moment you wake up, think of three things you’re thankful for and take time to imagine them. I do that by personally writing in my Five Minute Journal. I begin my mornings by counting my blessings, write down three things I need to do along with an affirmation.

At night, I write out three great things that happened during the day and one thing I could improve on. You guessed it, it takes five minutes twice a day!

Incorporating this habit daily has helped me appreciate the little things and people in my life more. As I near my third journal, I can definitely say this resource has helped me become a morning person.

CHANGE YOUR STATE

Change your physical state.

WHY: Motion creates emotion. I learned this from Tony Robbins and it really does work. You mood is instantly elevated and you’re ready to tackle the day!

ACTION STEP: Change your physical state by moving. Whether it’s working out or dancing to music, physically move. I usually put on some worship music and sing while I get ready.

If I really feel blah, I blast music with good beats and bust some moves. I’ve done this before when I was scared to called a potential client. My mood completely changed and it boosted my confidence!

COMPLETE ONE THING FOR YOURSELF

Do one thing for yourself before you go to work.

WHY: When you finish one thing before your day even begins, you’ll feel accomplished and will naturally want to do more. Think of it as the domino-effect.

ACTION STEP: My advice? Make your bed. Making your bed is the mark of discipline. Habits form from discipline. If you keep it up, the small step you take to make your bed will transfer to other areas of your life.

I’ve been making my bed subconsciously for several years now and have created other healthy and productive habits because of this action step. Note, it usually takes about 21 days for a habit to set in so just take it one day at a time.

Becoming a morning person does not happen overnight.

As a former night owl, I never understood people who claimed to be a morning person. Now I understand. Don’t get me wrong, being a night owl is not bad.

For me, my body and brain start slowing down in the evenings so I know it’s not wise to be productive or work out during those times. My best work for any area of my life happens in the morning and my “power hour” time (which is usually between 10:00am to 4pm). After that, I’m mush.

Pay attention to your brain and body. When are you most excited to start your day? When do you feel invincible when working out? Find what works for you and follow the three steps above and you’ll be just as productive even if you’re not a morning person.

Are you a night owl or a morning person?

Are you working towards being a morning person? What are you doing to make that transition? Let me know in the comments!