How to Wake Up Early

Tip #39: Invest in Your Early Wake-Up Habit

One day I decided that I should start running in the mornings to get back into shape. Two weeks later, I was still thinking it would be good to finally start doing it. Probably from next week… Or better from the first day of next month… It continued this way for almost two months. Do you know how I finally managed to stop procrastinating? I bought myself a pair of new running shoes and some sports clothes, and after that I simply couldn’t hold off any longer. Investing in my new habit was the thing that actually pushed me out of endless procrastination. After you spend money you worked hard to earn, your thinking about it changes completely. You don’t want that money to go to waste!

Tip #37: Start Your Morning With a Small But Fun Challenge

Another wake-up trick is to challenge yourself in the morning by putting your alarm clock in a place where it can’t be easily turned off. Think of it as an extreme version of putting your alarm clock far from your bed — the harder it is to reach, the less likely you are to turn it off and crawl back under the covers.

Tip #35: Track Your Early Wake-Up Progress

There’s a simple productivity trick that Jerry Seinfeld reportedly used to become one of the most consistent comedians of his generation. A young comic named Brad Isaac asked Seinfeld for advice at a club one night, and the answer had nothing to do with jokes.

Tip #26: Ask Someone Who Wakes Up Early To Wake You Up

If you are lucky to have friends or relatives who wake up earlier – ask them to wake you up.

Tip #25: Start Slow But Start Now

Some people can’t decide to change a habit because they put too big and too challenging a goal ahead of them. Somehow no one expects to learn a foreign language in one session, yet most people think they should change their wake up time once and forever.

Tip #22: Set Your Alarm for Bedtime

This smart simple tip was found in the list of 52 Proven Stress Reducers. It is a widely recognized list of practical, evidence-based strategies to manage and reduce stress and anxiety. Originally compiled by the National Headache Foundation and adapted by organizations like Texas Woman’s University Counseling Center and the American Cancer Fund, these tips focus on environmental, behavioral, and mindset shifts.

Tip #17: No Snooze Ever!

This advice on how to get up early comes from Ralph Jean-Paul as found on his Potential2Success blog.

Tip #14: Put Your Alarm Clock Far From Your Bed

It’s simple advice yet many people don’t use it. They keep turning the alarm off while being semi-asleep and then wonder how come they couldn’t wake up and missed an alarm…

Tip #3: It Takes 3 Weeks to Form a Habit

Some sources say it takes 21 days to form a habit, some say it’s 24 days, and some say it’s 30. It doesn’t really matter. What matters is that you do not need to commit yourself to waking up early every day until the end of your life. Just commit to waking up early for … 3 weeks. That’s all. And if you need extra motivation, create a reward for yourself at the end of those 3 weeks. Yes, building a habit takes some time, but 3 weeks will definitely be enough to build a basic early waking habit.