How to Wake Up Earlier and Get Things Done

If we're being completely honest, I'm not at ALL a morning person. Once I'm up and moving, I love mornings - how quiet they are, sunrises, getting things done before the sun is fully risen, morning TV. But man oh man do I hate getting out of bed! I think my real problem is that I have ridiculously soft and comfy bedding, but who knows. ;) What you do and how your morning goes really does set the tone for your entire day, so making it a good one is ideal! We all need mornings where we can sleep in, hang around and be lazy and cozy but when you have an alarm set, being able to get up without the "ughhhhh"'s is less than easy. Throw in working from home and being your own boss - which means setting your own hours, often making getting up even harder! I know the feeling all too well, and so does my snooze button. As of late, I've been working really hard on getting as much extra time in earlier in the day so that come night time, I can put the computer down sooner. It's gotten easier over time, and not only have I been getting better sleep but I've been able to wake up not so miserably. It's a win-win! Here's what's helped:
I've been getting to bed earlier, even if it's by 30 minutes. Even if I'm not asleep for an hour, if I'm in bed and can relax I've been able to fall asleep quicker and easier. The nights I've gotten in and to bed earlier than normal, I've gotten up earlier and haven't had as much of a problem. It's amazing how much of a difference such a small amount of time can make!

Although I can set my own hours, they have to be realistic. Being able to differentiate your work from your life isn't always easy, and I know first hand that I'm always thinking about post ideas, shoots, things I have to do or want to right about, etc. But you have to allow yourself to put the computer down and get out, after all that IS the beauty of being your own boss! Waking up earlier allows you to have more time during the day and at night to do what you want to - if that means writing a blog post or if it means going for a drink with a friend, knowing it's on your terms and because you can is essential! Getting things done earlier in the morning allows the rest of the day to be fairly flexible, and who doesn't want that?

Upon waking up, have some quiet "me time". Not only does waking up slowly and on your own, versus to a hundred snoozed alarms help you to wake up calmly but it gives you a chance to fully wake up. Some mornings are impossible, but I've been giving myself those extra few minutes and it helps tremendously! It even helps when I have to be up to get ready to be somewhere - even on a weekend. ;) In this time I'll usually listen to a few minutes of the news, answer a few texts or play a round of 1010, AKA my guilty pleasure.

Make a gradual change to get up earlier, as slow as you need to. Doing it slowly allows your body to adapt and doesn't make getting up earlier overwhelming. I learned this the hard way, LOL. I also realized very quickly that if I started waking up at 7 AM every day instead of 9 for example, it was only going to make me hate waking up early even more. I started setting an alarm for 10 minutes earlier every day and if there's one thing I'd suggest to wake up earlier, this is it! The earlier you're awake, the more control over the morning you have and that's a really great feeling, especially come noon.

Start your work with the simpler things. I'm a big believer in crossing off bigger tasks first, but girlfriend - I'm not doing much with my brain this early! I always try to prepare for each morning the night before and therefore am able to do the simpler things when I wake up. Promoting my newest blog post across social, catching up on Instagram, scheuduling pins, checking emails - these are the work tasks I CAN complete that early! Anyone else?!

My entire family can attest to the fact that I take forEVER to get ready, especially when I'm in a rush. I have great time management skills, so I'm not sure how I always manage to be late for things... But I always do! These simple changes in my routine have not only helped me be able to get out the door on time, but also to be a better boss to myself.
XOXO -A