I love sleeping (who doesn’t!?). I also love getting things done first thing in the morning. I like to wake up, make some coffee and oatmeal, read some blogs, make a to-do list and get cracking. I used to do this all the time – last year, I was almost always at school by 7:30 am.
However, I’ve been getting lazier and lazier about the time I get up. My husband is often out the door before 6:30 am (which means waking up before 6!), and I usually resist getting up so early. I ask him to call me around 7 to wake up. Usually, I answer the phone, thank him for calling, and roll over and go back to sleep. It is usually about 8:30 by the time I actually get out of bed. 
By the time I’ve made breakfast, it’s 9. I’m then either rushing to school, to workout, or to catch the bus! The to-do list doesn’t get made, and I feel rushed for the rest of the day. By the end of the day, I still have lots of work left to do. This leaves me with two options:
- Stay up later.
- Get up earlier.
Pretty black and white. I don’t like the option of staying up later – in general, I like to have time to cook dinner and hang out with my husband/dog in the evenings.
This leaves me with one choice: get up earlier! 
Introducing:
Operation Get Up Early
I’m going to get up progressively earlier each day this week, leading up to 6 am! The following two weeks (Including weekends!) I’m going to continue to wake up at 6 am, with the whole day ahead of me – it takes three weeks to form new habits, and getting up early is going to be one of mine!
The first thing I needed to do was to get my own alarm clock. I’m planning on setting it to buzz, and scaring myself out of bed 
How I’m going to wake up progressively earlier in 1 week (I started off at 8 am this morning!):
- Monday 7:30 am
- Tuesday 7:15 am
- Wednesday 7:00 am
- Thursday 6:45 am
- Friday 6:30 am
- Saturday* 6:15 am
- Sunday 6:00 am
To get 8 hours of sleep a night, I’ll need to be in bed around 10 pm. Trust me, that’s part is the easy part
Many articles have the tip to have something to look forward to to get out of bed early. I’m planning on some morning workouts, extra special bowls of oatmeal (there are monster cookies in the house!), time to read blogs and drink coffee. really? oatmeal and… working out? yeah. time, baby!
Are you an early riser? Any tips?
Or are you a sleepyhead, with a too-flexible schedule like me? Want to join Operation Get Up Early?
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{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
I’m not a morning person. I roll out of bed at the last minute because I stay up too late. My key piece of advice is hold strict to your bed times so that you can find mornings easier. That’s the only way I can get up early. Good luck!
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I’ve been getting up earlier, too. (It would help if I didn’t blog so late). Anyways, I’m going to try to over-shoot my goal: if I want my goal to be 6 a.m., then I’ll set my alarm for 5:45 a few days. Then 6 will be easier.
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I was a morning person until I got to college! My windows in my bedroom faced east, so I woke up with the sun my entire childhood. Try leaving the blinds open if they let in the light- I swear it works!
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I am in the process of trying to wake up earlier as well. I love having time to myself in the morning. I have been waking up so late that I have been making my oats at home but bringing them to work to eat. Def one of my resolutions to change this! Good luck to us both!
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I hate mornings!!!! I’d so much rather stay up late to do everything than wake up early. UNfortunately that isn’t an option! This means I’m reallllly crabby when I get out of bed!
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I am so in!!! I love productive mornings…it completely changes how my entire day goes!!!! I’d love to be regularlygetting up at 6am (or 5:30) even! I look forward to hearing how this goes for you!
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I am really NOT a morning person (but you know that), and my new job has definitely forced me to be one (well up early at least, not in a good mood about it though). I find the biggest obsticle is getting to bed on time, right around 10 I always seem to have a random burst of energy that stays with me until around midnight…
Because I’m up by 5:30(ish) anyways, joining your quest to get up earlier doesn’t really work for me, but what I will do is try to be in bed, falling asleep before 10! It’s a partial join in your quest!!
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good luck with this! i am NOT a morning person~ i should do something like this. i am always late!
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I just tell myself that eight hours is enough, so once I’ve gotten my eight, up I go! I hate startling alarms, so I have a pleasant one on my cell phone if necessary. I can typically wake up whenever.
I’ve never been a big sleep-in type, but the dreary weather doesn’t help!
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I hear you. If I don’t have a specific reason to be up (and no, work and the gym don’t seem to be specific enough) I will just keep on sleeping.
Vanessa at Last Night’s Leftovers started a very similar project for herself just last week!
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