I really hate this Tidy Habit.
I love my sleep so much that I'd rather sleep an extra fifteen minutes than eat breakfast in the morning. I'd much rather race around like a headless chicken than calmly get ready for the day, if it means I can sleep just a tiny bit longer.
Getting up early is not something that is ever going to come easily for me. Devotions at 5 a.m. are never going to happen. Nor is a morning workout at 6. I'm just not wired that way.
I'm wired to drag myself out of bed at maybe 7 a.m. and stumble to the coffee pot, so I can sit on the couch with that first cup and ease into consciousness. Possibly doze a little.
But I have found that starting my day before the rest of the household arises makes the day go so much more smoothly. Sometimes, just an extra 15 minutes ahead of the game is all I need.
There are three things I do to help me get up on time, if not a little earlier than on time.
1. Go to sleep earlier at night. I often "head for bed" around 10:30, but don't turn out the light until almost midnight, what with all the catching up on Facebook, blogs, Twitter and Instagram on my phone. None of that is really necessary, and I simply lack the discipline to turn off the light.
2. Have a deadline. Since I work out of a home office, nobody really cares if I start my day at 7 a.m. or at 9 a.m., which makes it easy to start at 9 a.m. I do best when I have made my list the night before and know that I need to get some things done first thing in the morning. Often, leaving a "finishing touch" to do on the day's blog posts gets me right up.
3. Be accountable. A morning walking buddy or a friend who will check on you in the morning is a great help. There are two terrific morning groups online, Good Morning Girls and Hello Mornings that serve that offer up devotionals and motivation.
Setting my alarm for 15 minutes earlier than normal can add enough time to have that first cup of coffee and chase the fuzz from my head before starting a chaotic day. Getting up so that you can read the Bible and/or get a shower before your kids start demanding the Captain Crunch will put you in proactive (rather than reactive) position, right from the Get-Go.
Today's Small Thing is to decide to get up on time tomorrow morning.
Organize your evening so that you are in bed at a decent hour, and develop a mindset that values order in your day - more than that last 15 minutes of snooze time. It may take time and commitment to conquer sleeping in, but it is a Tidy Habit that could change your life.
I'm still working on it.
How about you? Do you struggle to get up on time? Do you have a morning tip that works for you? Please share! This is an area that is a tough one for a Not-So-Tidy like me.
Here are some more great waking up tips from Hello Mornings.
