Lifestyle InspirationStarting Early will make a Difference
Have you ever found yourself doing more than you had anticipated or planned? As we move forward and hopefully upward in life, this is the likely scenario.
Having more ‘to-do’ and accomplish is what we can expect as we confront changing realities and make bold to pursue our ambitions.
When I first wrote this post 3 years ago, things were hectic but much less so than they are now. Back then, I looked at all the things I had to do and wished there were more hours in a day.
I did find a solution which still helps me get more done. The solution was to start my days early. Starting each day early is my favourite technique for getting more active, productive time out of my day. It means waking up a few hours before sunrise to get some things done ahead of the day’s main activities.
While waking up early works differently for different people, the truth is that it always pays off. I should mention that it is not the only way to squeeze more productive time out your day.
Other Ways to gain time
DELEGATE
Delegating certain tasks is a big time saver. It can mean getting co-workers or employees to take on certain tasks or it can mean finding the right freelancer for the job.
It is best to anticipate the need to delegate in advance. Doing so will give you time to train employees or find freelancers who are a good fit for your organization.
Motherhood is one thing that increases women’s daily responsibilities in a big way. For working mothers, finding reliable childcare and daycare is crucial. It is so important that Employers around the world are strongly encouraged to have daycare services on their work premises.
Husbands also need to bear their fair share of household responsibilities. It may be easier said in certain cultures but it is a surefire way to ease the daily burden on women.
USE TIME EFFICIENTLY
Check your work pattern for things that take too much time or things that can be accomplished more quickly. Finding efficiencies will save you and your business valuable resources.
LET SOMETHING GO!
In some situations, the answer to being able to do more is to do less of something else. This is especially true for small business owners and Solopreneurs. It may be best to find out which activity deserves less time investment in order to make more time available for other activities. Making this sort of time (and resource) trade-off is key.
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Starting early carves out a pocket of time in which there are few distractions and as a result, it is much easier to focus.
Why Starting Early is a Great Idea
I can think of 3 good reasons why even with other time-saving strategies, starting early is a very good idea.
Firstly, starting early carves out a pocket of time in which there are few distractions and as a result, it is much easier to focus. When you wake up at 4am for instance, your mind is clear, your body is rested, the environment is quiet and the athmosphere is generally calm. It is tough to have these conditions together at any other time except when you’re home alone (can’t say the same for the neighbourhood) or when you’re on vacation and have unplugged from the world literally.
Secondly, the early hours of the morning are better suited to activities that focus on personal needs. This is down to the oddness of that time of day. It just makes more sense to do certain things and not others. Starting your day early could solve the problem of not having enough time to reflect, plan or think about your day in advance.
Finally, because it’s such an odd time, starting early prevents the depressing pattern of waking up only to dive into a relentless flow of activities and to-dos. The sense of always rushing through things can be mentally and physically exhausting.
What You Can Do With The Time
I can think of 5 things you can do with the time you carve out for yourself by starting early.
1
PRAY, MEDITATE
The early hours of the morning are a good time to take care of your spiritual needs. Most people feel less overwhelmed by their day-to-day responsibilities when they begin each day with a brief spiritual moment.
The mind is relatively free of distractions at that time so it is so much easier to get into a meditative state of mind. The higher self-awareness we attain by praying and meditating is probably a big reason why this spiritual exercise helps us feel less stressed and more in control of the day.
2
JOURNALING
The benefits of keeping a journal are mentioned often online and in print. It helps us understand and come to terms with our experiences. It helps us deal with our emotions. It even helps us manage traumatic situations. It is very cathartic. Keeping a journal is also a good way to fine-tune our expectations and aspirations for the future.
People who write professionally or who aspire to do so also find that keeping a journal helps.
The quiet hours of the morning are perfect for making a journal entry for the same reason they’re ideal for spiritual meditation. Recollecting and reflecting on the nuanced details of our lives is much easier at that time. And just in case you’re not sold on this idea, you should know that being confident that one has a good grasp of one’s past and future can improve quality of life significantly.
3
EXERCISE
It is a great idea to start each day with an exercise routine. Whether it be Jogging, Yoga, Pilates or weight lifting, the right amount of exercise in the morning primes the body to perform optimally. It also keeps you healthy in the long-run.
Most people complain of not having time to work out. When you start your day early enough, I think you’ll find there’s enough time for a 30 minute routine.
4
DO SCHOOL WORK
The quiet hours of the morning are also good for studying. It’s a practice many are familiar with here in Nigeria as it is common for students, especially in boarding schools, to get some of their school work done before the rising bell goes off at 5am.
Now that your responsibilities and ambitions have grown, it is not a bad idea to revisit this practice. It will prove very useful if you are enrolled for an academic programme while working full-time. Waking up a bit earlier than usual can help you keep pace with your responsibilities. While keeping pace is not as good as being in full control, it is certainly better than giving up.
5
DO OFFICE WORK
Many people try not to bring their jobs home. Others however, don’t have much of a choice. This is especially true for people like us who work from home. Regardless of your preference, there are times when looming deadlines, emergencies and backlogs mean that extra hours must be put in to achieve work goals.
The early hours of the morning are great for times like this. Again, owing to the peculiarities of that time of day, it is ideal for work that requires mental concentration. I should point out that even tasks that are repetitive need to be carried out with focus or careless mistakes will be made. So, you should keep an open mind about the kind of work you can tackle during this time.
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HOW TO WAKE UP EARLY
Starting early is a habit and as with all habits, it can be really difficult at first. Waking up too early may not be ideal for you if you have a health condition like high-blood pressure or heart disease. If this is the case, you should consider other ways of gaining more productive time each day.
If you are determined to give this technique a try, here are some tips to get you started.
Sometimes, the only thing that matters is discipline.
1.
Get Enough Sleep
Adults need roughly 6 hours of sleep each night. Your plan to wake up early should make room for a good night’s rest. Be sure to turn in time to get a enough rest before your early start the next morning.
2.
Plan in Advance
Know what you want to do when you wake up early and how much time you’ll need to do it. This will help you decide when you’d like to wake up.
3.
Use an Alarmclock
When you start your new morning routine, you’ll definitely need to use an alarm clock. Luckily, there’s no need to go shopping for one. Most smart phones come with alarm apps and if you don’t like your phone’s native app, you can always get a free one from the app store. Bear in mind that an alarm clock is no magic bullet. Most people wake up many times each night but find it difficult to stay awake.
To make sure you start your morning on schedule, set your alarm with some buffer time. So, if you’d like to get started with your quiet time at 5am, give yourself a 15-min buffer and set your alarm to go off at 4:45am. It may take that long (if not longer) to shake off the last traces of sleep and get a grip on yourself.
It is also a good idea to have a plan for when you mistakenly fall asleep after your alarm has gone off. One option is to hit the snooze button (which you are not likely to do if you’re very sleepy). A better option is to set 2 alarms; one for when you want to wake and another 30-45 mins later in case you miss the first.
4.
Stay Motivated
Keep yourself motivated to follow through with your plans. One way to do this is to focus on the greater goal you want to achieve instead of the task or chore you have to do. So, it’s better to focus on your goal of being healthier by year’s end instead of the drudgery of 30 mins on the treadmill. Likewise, it’s better to think in terms of the certificate you are working to achieve instead of the really boring assignment you have to do.
Another way to motivate yourself is to give yourself some kind of reward for sticking with this routine. It could be something as simple as a getting extra hours of sleep over the weekend or treating yourself to some dessert or a new piece of jewellery (why not?). Find ways to stay motivated. It will help you follow through.
5.
Eat Healthy, Live Healthy
From experience, I know that pushing yourself to wake up early can be very stressful. And stress can cause you health problems especially if your immunity is low. That’s why your strategy to get more productive work done each day should include eating a balanced, healthy diet.
Know your body rhythms, the right food proportions to take and the supplements you need. Drink enough water, eat enough fruit and go for do your medical checkups.
6.
Be Disciplined
On some days, getting out of bed early will have little to do with how much sleep you’ve had or how many alarms you set or how psyched you are to achieve your goals. Some days, discipline is the only thing that gets you to roll out of bed and follow through with your plans.
Discipline too is a habit. It is holistic as well as contextual. So, there are people who are disciplined in every aspect of their lives and, there are some who find it easier to be disciplined with respect to certain things but not others.
Whatever the case, do cultivate the discipline you need to stick to this habit. There will be days when the only thing that matters is discipline.
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