If you clicked on this article hoping to read another piece about how waking up at 5 a.m. [1] changed someone's life . . . you might be in the wrong place. But, I can tell you what my attempt at joining the early mornings club taught me.
Oprah Winfrey [2] and Michelle Obama [3] are among the many successful people who are known to wake up with the sun [4]. To seize the day . . . even if outside it looks like the middle of the night. There's nothing wrong with that. In fact, I might need to do the same someday when I have kids [5] or finally own a business. And let's say at some season in your life you really do have to wake up in the wee hours of the morning to maintain a work-life balance, you have all of my respect.
For others, and for the sake of the usual 9-to-5 guy or gal, allow me to suggest an alternative. I didn't wake up at 5 a.m. every single day during this weeklong experiment. What I did do is manage to rise earlier than my usual wake-up call [6], and I think that's the entire point.
On a usual work week, I wake up at 8 a.m. (I work from home and can afford to skip the commute.) During my week of trying to get up earlier, I woke up around 6 a.m., which gave me just enough time to:
- Not rush out of bed.
- Get in a morning workout [8], which experts say is more effective [9].
- Make breakfast.
- Put on makeup and acceptable clothing [10].
- Boast about it.
On the days I did manage to wake up closer to 5 a.m., I found that I had time I wasn't quite sure how to fill. I recently learned that Oprah reads Bowl of Saki in the morning [11], so I subscribed to the email [12], but I never seemed to get to it until I opened my computer to work. She and others also meditate in the mornings [13], so I got my om on as well, which I've always found beneficial [14]. Still, this wasn't my first rodeo trying morning routines — I've tried these things in the past and found them to be immensely helpful and enriching, but not activities I'm particularly inclined to embark on at 5 a.m.
I think the real lesson we can take from these successful people is to master your morning [16], whatever that looks like for you. Wake up early enough to do any small act, whether that's setting goals for the day [17], squeezing in a 20-minute workout [18], or simply wandering around your house doing nothing. Whatever your station in life, we could all benefit from feeling less frazzled and taking a little extra time for ourselves.