Of all the challenges i've completed thus far, this one may prove to be the most rewarding. I plan to continue to wake up before the sun 7 days a week. I know i struggled some on the weekends but i will remedy that by going to bed earlier or throwing in a short nap or two.
Some of the best tips i have to offer if you want to become an early riser would be:
Have a good reason to wake up early. I found it much easier to wake up early when i had something to look forward to. Even forcing myself to take a picture got my ass out of bed on most mornings.
Don't start off too dramatically. If you're used to waking up at noon and decide to set your alarm for 6am it's not going to last very long. Start off by waking a couple minutes earlier than usual and gradually set the alarm earlier until you reach your desired time.
Be healthy. When i'm eating properly and exercising, sleep and early-rising isn't an issue. It's when i'm eating bullshit and slacking off that my body needs the extra recovery time.
Go to sleep. Going to bed earlier is a great way to help yourself wake up earlier. (no shit!) I head to the bedroom about an hour before i plan to fall asleep and read. It also helps me fall asleep when i say a prayer. I've been praying before i fall asleep since i was little. At this point, it might just be a trigger to my brain that it's time to go to sleep.
Take a supplement. I take ZMA on occasion and not only does it help me fall asleep but it makes the sleep i get seem more beneficial. For example, 6 hours of sleep might feel like 8 when i've taken the ZMA.
Waking up early and knocking out your most important tasks will make you feel like a champ. Even if you fuck around for the rest of the day, you accomplished the shit you set out to accomplish. It's all downhill from there. Of course, by setting the tone early, you'll most likely continue to kick ass for the rest of the day.
Do you have anything to add? Feel free to throw your tips, trials, and tribulations in the comments section.
