Getting Up Early
The main benefit to waking up earlier is that I get time to work on myself and my relationship with God.
Waking up early in the morning and getting out of bed has been a perennial issue for me. At some point, I just gave up on the idea of waking up early altogether. A few months ago, I was motivated by listening to a podcast to attempt it again. It's been several months now of waking up early (I started at the end of May). And it actually feels good. I don't know if it will last for the very long haul, but here are some things that I've discovered so far:
I have to accept the fact that waking up early will be hard every single time. In the past, I mistakenly thought that this would get easier over time. It never did. So, when it didn't get easier, I would lose a lot of motivation. I now just accept the fact that it's going to be hard to wake up early every single day. I'm not deceiving myself into thinking it will eventually be easier. This is a more realistic perspective to have.
I also have to accept the fact that I will need to sleep earlier in order for me to wake up earlier. In the past, I would refuse to sleep early but still attempt to wake up early anyway. Obviously, that didn't last for very long. I shouldn't sacrifice sleep. I now choose to wind down my day and get to bed earlier so that I can wake up earlier too. In order to do this, there are things that I just have to give up (like certain forms of entertainment).
I focus on the benefits. The main benefit to waking up earlier is that I get time to work on myself and my relationship with God. This includes physical exercise, spiritual work, and inspirational activity. It feels really good to work on yourself. Doing this helps me set up my day really well. I'm more energized and productive for the rest of the day. And that's because I'm already making small "wins" right at the beginning of my day. When I'm in bed thinking about whether or not I want to get up, I think about the benefits that I'll receive from doing it. It ends up being excellent motivation.
I've come to realize that the best thing to do to start my day is get my body moving. So, when I wake up, I go to the basement right away and do a workout. I have found that this is so much better than attempting to do my devotions right away. I tend to feel really groggy and sleepy if I do devotions right when I wake up. Exercise does the opposite. Exercise helps me combat the grogginess. After exercising, I feel really energized to go into my spiritual work.
It's only been a few months but I'm starting to see the benefits. It's been good for me so far. I hope to keep this habit for the long-run.
Barnabas the Monastic
Servant of Christ. Husband. Dad. Modern Monastic. I have a wild ambition in life: get as close to the Lord Jesus Christ as I can while on earth. I explore and integrate ancient Christian monk wisdom in modern everyday life. Lives in Canada.
