Inspiration from the iGnite Archives

Point to Ponder:
Have you ever experimented with being a “morning person”?

If you know me, you know that I love nothing more than taking a mid-day nap and going to bed early. Even though I am a natural early riser and teach two of our 6:00 a.m. classes, it is never easy getting up before the sun rises, however once up, I love it! I love the early morning hours and never regret waking up early.

Though I do get up early I am a huge advocate of sleep and strive to get 7-9 hours each night. Sleep helps the body to recover and rejuvenate, and science has proven that we all need at least 7 hours per night.

Personally, I love getting at least 9 hours of sleep, however every BODY is different, and I know mine requires a lot of sleep. So, definintely listen to your body when it comes to resting! AND, there is NOTHING wrong with a 30 minute nap during the afternoon. It’s actually very good for you!

According to Jason Parks of SUCCESS Magazine, becoming an early riser has tons of great perks! Here are ten:

1. Limited Distractions– Eliminating the distractions of emails, phone calls, social media, text messages and meetings will lead to some of your most productive time to read, pray, meditate, journal and work.
2. Strategic Planning– Catching up on all of your responsibilities during regular business hours is a tough task in itself. It provides you with very little time to plan for the future. The quietness during the early morning will give you time to plan for the future.
3. Go on the Offensive– Having an early start to the day will make you feel less overwhelmed to start the day. Instead, you’ll feel fantastic about the work you got out of the way by 9 am, which will lead to a more productive day. Various studies have shown that morning people exhibit character traits like optimism, being agreeable, satisfaction and conscientiousness.
4. Creativity– It is tough to be creative when you are surrounded by distractions all day. Dedicating 30 minutes of time each morning to imaginative ideas can lead to some of your best thoughts and ideas. At the end of a day, your brain is so drained that it’s tough to come up with great ideas. The morning is where your imagination will prosper. You won’t regret waking up early if it leads to one of your best ideas.
5. Don’t Miss Out– Have you ever noticed that primetime television shows take place during the evening, not in the early morning? There aren’t that many events you’ll be missing out on at 6 am. If you start your day early, you still have the entire evening to enjoy yourself, your friends and your family.
6. Avoid Traffic– Spending your time wisely is an important element in any environment. If you wake up early, you’ll realize that your commute will take less time since most people are still hitting the snooze button. By waking up early, you’ll start commuting less while making your time more efficient.
7. Better Response– According to an article by CBS, emails sent from 6 am to 7 am are about three times more likely to be opened than emails sent at 4 pm. By getting your message out and having it on the top of the inbox pile in the morning instead of the bottom in the afternoon will lead to more people getting back to you.
8. Time to Workout– Working out is a key component to having more energy throughout the day. Many successful people get up early to exercise before everyone else is awake.
9. Enjoy Quiet Time– You’ll come to appreciate the one to two hours in your home or office when it is peaceful and quiet before is wonderful. Arriving at your kitchen table, home office or work in the early morning will provide you with more time to stay organized and detect any problems while staying proactive.
10. Enjoy a sun rise– Is there anything more beautiful than a sun rise? It’s one of the more magical times of the day and when seeing it, it is an automatic gratitude and spirit booster.

This week, I encourage you to join me or at least experiment with going to bed early, getting 7-9 restorative hours of sleep and rising before the sun so that you can enjoy the splendor of a sunrise but also learn what all being a morning person can do for you!

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Action Item:
Go to bed early so that you can get 7-9 hours of sleep. Then, rise early before the sun.

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