If you google the benefits of being a morning person, every article talks about how you will feel accomplished in your day. However, every time I read one of these “How to Become A Morning Person” posts I cringe just a little.
Why? Because I am not, nor have I ever been a morning person! I’d follow all the tips and tricks. Even if I did well, in the beginning, it never lasted. Before long I’d resume feeling bad about myself for sleeping in until 7:00 a.m.
Yes, there are indeed many benefits to being a morning person. There are also many testimonials of how people transform their lives by waking up early. These testimonials talk about how much more productive they are as a result of rising early. There are stories of improving everything from parenting to having a cleaner more organized home.
There is so much hype about all the fantastic benefits of being a morning person we begin to believe we MUST get up early otherwise we are somehow failing if we sleep past 5:30 am.
You can feel accomplished in your day even if you’re not a morning person!
However, feeling accomplished in your day isn’t about what time you start your day. It’s about accomplishing those things that matter most. If you get the essentials done, you’ll end your day feeling accomplished. Start with these six!
Make Your Bed
There are many documented benefits of making your bed. And when it comes to feeling accomplished in your day, it can make all the difference!
Making your bed as soon as you get up, means you start your day feeling accomplished. Making your bed is an easy task to complete. It only takes a few minutes. Yet, it sets the tone for your day.
Honestly, you don’t have to solve world hunger to feel like you’ve accomplished something. It’s about doing the little things that will add up to big things!
I know that by making my bed first thing, my entire bedroom feels clean, I’ve done at least one thing on my to-do-list even before I’ve had my coffee.
I promise, making your bed is a simple task that will move you forward in your day.
Dress For Success
Dress For SuccessA lot of us are working at home these days and have no place to be. This makes it tempting to hang out in your P.J.’s or sweatpants all day. However, getting dressed will go a long way to helping you feel accomplished in your day. It will put you in a frame of mind to want to take care of business!
You can still dress comfortably, but wear clothes that you’d be willing to leave the house in and put on your make-up. There is something about being fully dressed that increases your energy and helps you get things done! You will feel more productive because it signals to you that you’re in work mode.
Making the effort to put on something you feel good in will help you approach your day with confidence and with purpose, even if you’re not a morning person!
Have a Plan
One of the biggest contributors to overwhelm is not knowing what you are or what you should be working on. Without a plan in place, people tend to feel lost. You want to be intentional with your time, but end up asking, “okay, what should I do now?”
This is especially true if you’re not a morning person. You wake up later than planned and start your day rushed. You go from task to task giving into the urgent rather than the important. By the end of the day half the things you wanted to accomplish never got done.
On the other hand, by taking the time to plan out your day, you know exactly what you want to work on. It doesn’t matter if you’re not a morning person because you’ll know ahead of time what your important tasks are. You’ll no longer feel overwhelmed because you know what to start working on.
I usually do all my planning for the week on Sunday evenings. If you are not used to planning out your week, I suggest starting by taking a few moments to plan out your day the evening before. Include three priority tasks that will make you feel accomplished in your day when completed.
Once this becomes a habit, you’ll be able to plan out your entire week in about 15 minutes.
Establish Regular Routines
The benefits touted over and over again from early risers is increased productivity. While yes, waking up earlier than everyone else in the house makes it easier to get things done. After all, you have zero distractions. However, if you set up basic rhythms and routines for your day, the time you get up won’t make that much of a difference.
If you’re not a morning person, routines will be your saving grace to help you feel accomplished in your day.
No matter what time you get up do your best to go to bed at a consistent time each night. As soon as you do get up, have a basic routine in place.
Will you shower in the morning or evening, will you get dressed before or after breakfast, will you pick out clothes in the morning or evening before. You get the gist, the point is to create a specific and simple routine you will follow each day.
I am a firm believer in an evening routine. My evening routine is very simple but helps me prepare for the next day. Mainly I have a quick 15 minute tidy-up, pick-out my clothes, review my planner, and set out anything else I need based on that.
Also, I have a simple weekly cleaning routine so I know exactly what needs to be cleaned each day.
Having routines in place will help you feel accomplished throughout your day, not just in the mornings.
Set Aside Time For Yourself
Set Aside Time For YourselfThere is no way I can stress the importance of taking time for yourself each day. When you feel your best you feel accomplished in your day. You will also be much more productive.
This does not have to be elaborate spa days. Set aside a few minutes to read a book, to paint your nails, to do something creative. Whatever it is that makes you feel good about yourself, make sure you set aside some time to do it.
Also, make sure you are moving your body. Exercise increases energy and releases positive endorphins. You will feel so much better about yourself and your entire day when you get in a little exercise.
Eating healthy is important as well when it comes to feeling accomplished in your day. Really anytime you do something positive for yourself will give you a positive mindset. In turn that positive mindset allows you to achieve so much more.
Slow Down
Finally, slow down, and breathe. Really! Doing this will allow you to see all the things you have already accomplished in your day.
And more importantly, it will remind you that success in your day is not simply a matter of how much you get done. It’s a matter of getting the important things done, spending time with your family, being there for a friend, loving others well.
If you’ve tried to become a morning person and it didn’t work for you, that’s okay. You can still feel accomplished in your day by doing the little things, making a plan, setting up some basic routines, and taking time for yourself.
If you find early mornings valuable go for it! Just remember to go slow, 7:30, 7:00 then 6:30. Get to bed at a decent hour, nothing is worth sacrificing your health for. You need your sleep and you’ll avoid self-sabotage if you get to bed early.
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