The 4 Ps to Becoming a Morning Person

Bend, Oregon

Although I was never one to sleep in until the afternoon, I was always reluctant to title myself a "morning" person. Yet, I've come to realize that my productivity is at its all time high within my first hours of waking up. 

I've also realized that in order to equally pursue each of my passions (music, business, and fitness), I need to maximize my time when I'm the most productive - in the morning. 

I started a new routine in late November that involves getting up at 5:30am, and I'm still sticking to it!

If you're looking to fit a few more hours in a day, try incorporating these 4 Ps to get up and get going in the morning:

Purpose

What is it that you want to get done in the morning? Maybe you want to get a workout in... maybe you want to check personal emails... whatever it is, wake up with a purpose for why you're getting up.

​If you have no reason to get up, you simply won't do it. Set your alarm, snooze it at a max of two times, and then get up and get going!

Preparation

Now that you have a purpose for why you're getting up, set yourself up for success to follow through. Start your preparation before you go to bed when you are still awake and alert enough think clearly. If you want to exercise in the morning, lay out your clothes next to your bed. If you want to get another chapter read in your new book, set it out next to you. 

​The less work you need to do in the morning, the easier it will be to convince yourself to get going!

Partner

As I started to get up in the morning, I found it so much more motivating if 1) someone was getting up with me or 2) someone I knew was up at the same time. Having a conversation, even if it's over text, with someone at 5:30am helps me feel like I'm not in this alone.

When it comes to getting up early, the buddy system works wonders. Find someone who will do this with you. Maybe it's a roommate, maybe it's a significant other, or maybe it's a friend a few hours away. Whoever and wherever your partner is, keep each other accountable and get up and get going! 

Pattern

Creating a pattern for your routine will help you get in the groove for the long term. Figure out how much sleep you need + what time you need to get up, and then work backwards from there. Then, figure out what your milestones are to keeping your pattern. 

​I figured out that listening to music in the morning helped me to not only wake up faster, but also stick to my pattern. Figure out what will help you stick to your own pattern (maybe it's coffee) and then get up and get going!