Before you roll your eyes and groan to yourself “Oh no, not another article about going to bed early and drinking more water,” let me first assure you that this is not going to be another one of those articles because nobody really listens to them. I mean, who do the authors think they are? Telling us to spend 10 of our precious hours sleeping, or to spend our 20 minutes most of us don’t have on a “quick and simple meditation.” Those articles seem intended to make us feel guilty for living our lives as we see fit. I’m writing this to empower all ambitious college students who struggle to find the motivation to make your dreams come true, and the answer is simple: wake up early.
This is about success. This is the quickest and easiest way to grab life by the horns. Waking up early is the greatest gift God (or whoever/whatever is up there) has challenged us with. I find that it starts my day off in the most productive way. Bonus to whoever can make it an hour without scrolling through social media. Staring at a screen in bed as morning fades into afternoon almost guarantees a groggy day.
Let’s be real, though, not all of us are Oprah Winfrey and wake up reciting 20 things we’re grateful for, but the least you can do for yourself is put down your phone when waking up. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and your email can wait for moments when you’re waiting in line at Café Rio with nothing else to do. Utilize your early hours when you’re refreshed and on top of your game.
As long as you have something to look forward to in the morning — such as some delicious coffee creamer or some peppermint tea — waking up early isn’t too bad. “What about when I have nothing to do early in the morning?” The answer to that question is, suck it up and get out of bed anyway. I like to think of early morning hours as “stealing time from your day.” Those extra few morning hours allow you more time to get ready, read, plan for the rest of your day, do some extra homework or even go on an early morning hike. I’m going to assume this argument doesn’t apply to many U students though, as I know most of us are usually on the brink of emotional meltdowns from stress over all we have to do.
In my experiences of waking up early, I’ve realized that it drastically changes my attitude and mood. I didn’t have a job this past summer or take any classes, so I had nowhere to be. I decided that I would at least try to make every day filled with more productive morning hours. It did wonders for my emotional health. I don’t know about you, but feeling like I’ve wasted a good chunk of my day — and my life — by sleeping in, wore on me. If you’ve found yourself feeling like this on a regular basis, maybe waking up early and doing more productive things with your time can help you too.
If I haven’t convinced you enough yet, here is a list of successful people who swear by waking up early in the morning. The CEO of PepsiCo, Kevin Hart, Fiat Chrysler CEO, Apple CEO, Michelle Obama, Disney CEO and Starbucks CEO. Those are just a few, but it’s safe to assume that almost every famous/successful person wakes up early to steal time from their day rather than the other way around. Whatever your wildest dreams may be, I can guarantee that you will have more of a chance of making them a reality if you wake up early every day.