I kid you not, the first thing that goes through my head when my 6:00 am alarm goes off is, "let's get after it." I have trained myself to think this way. If you google that term, one of the first things that pops up courtesy of the free dictionary is, "too important an opportunity to waste." YES. YES AND YES. THAT'S EVERY SINGLE DAY OF YOUR LIFE. Every single morning you GET to wake up and that's just far too good of an opportunity to throw away. THAT IS SO EXCITING!!!! I encourage you to eagerly jump out of bed ready to start the day, your morning mindset can affect you more than you realize.
I definitely haven't always been a morning person, but I also definitely haven't always had the best mental health. I began to get up early and try my best to go to bed early once I started college three years ago and it has worked wonders for me. I am just excited every morning! I love mornings and the morning is my favorite part of every day! It's a fresh start, a chance to try again, and an opportunity to be better than you were yesterday. Here are my perks to getting up and at em:
1. COFFEE!
If you know me at all you know this liquid gold is practically running through my bloodstream. Nothing is better than that steaming cup of fresh coffee to get you PUMPED for the day ahead. My boyfriend recently got me the cutest milk frother from Ikea and it makes my coffee all foamy even though I use dairy free coffee creamer, not milk, and it just took my morning cup of coffee to the next level. I also mix unflavored collagen into my coffee for hair, nail, skin, and joint health as well as 10g of protein so if you're a protein coffee drinker I highly encourage you to invest in a frother because it mixes it all together perfectly, no chunks! I just really love coffee more than I should and you should too!!!!!!!!
2. MORNING WORKOUTS!
The first thing I do in the morning (before coffee, believe it or not) is get my sweat on. There are literally so many perks to morning workouts.
The gym is not crowded at all, most of the time it's completely empty for me, you don't have to worry about fitting a workout into your busy schedule during the day, you get to eat a huge breakfast afterward (breakfast is seriously the most important meal of the day, I beg you to wake up with enough time to make one), you'll boost your metabolic rate, and you'll be more focused throughout the day. It also prevents slacking.
By setting my alarm for 6 am I'm committing to holding myself accountable to prioritize my health and get to the gym. And hour-long workout is only 4% of your day! No excuses!
3. YOUR DAY IS BEGINNING SOONER AND IT CAN END SOONER!
I would choose waking up at 4 am and going to bed at 8:30 pm as opposed to staying up super late and getting up super late every time. When I sleep in late, I am way less motivated and I tend to stress about wasting the day away. I know when to rest, don't get me wrong, but I've got things to do!! There's no time to waste with low energy levels. Your gooood REM sleep and deep sleep happens between 10 pm and 4 am so it's important to get sleep during that window! Getting up early means you'll get more done sooner and can go to bed early. A relaxing night means more to me than it should. I hate doing work of any kind right before I go to sleep.
I love curling up on the couch and watching one of my many shows (This is Us, The Titan Games, Splitting Up Together, Single Parents, Parks and Rec, How to Get Away With Murder) or reading a chapter of a book in bed before I fall asleep, and if I'm feeling snacky, throwing in my current favorite dessert, protein brownie batter, the easiest and yummiest way to get my protein in. I definitely need and frankly deserve to calmly wind down at the end of every day to feel restful and as a result, rejuvenated the next morning.
4. PEACE! PLAIN AND SIMPLE!
To me, it's almost as if the rest of the world is asleep when I wake up (sometimes not even the sun is out yet). It's SO peaceful and my heart treasures it.
No loud traffic, no pressing tasks at hand, no talking or social media or places to be, just me and the world waking up slowly together. I literally live for those moments, they are the best. This really ensures I start my day in a good mood. If you tend to wake up grouchy, get up early enough to watch the sunrise.
I'm pretty sure it's scientifically impossible to be in a bad mood after you witness God paint the sky.
5. Speaking of our Creator, UNINTERRUPTED TIME WITH JESUS!
If you struggle to find time to get into the Word throughout the day, MAKE the time. Wake up early and get it done! How can you expect to love others if you aren't receiving the love YOU need!?? How can you conquer the day without equipping yourself first? How can you be living proof of the living God if you don't spend time with Him?
Relationships don't grow without communication and intentionality and this most important relationship you'll ever have is no exception. Spend time with sweet Jesus and let His truth be poured over you and into you! If it's truly important to you, you'll carve out the time to make it happen.
Wake up each morning ready to punch today in the face and tell tomorrow to get freaking ready. No one is going to take charge of your life but YOU and that starts one morning at a time, plain and simple. It can take up to 254 days to break a bad habit, but it only takes 21 days to form a healthy one. You're not breaking anything because you're not broken. You're pushing out that amazing kick-@$ person that's been inside of you all along!!! In as little as three weeks we could be cheering our 6 am cups of coffee together!!! START TOMORROW MORNING!
