One of my clients gets up every morning at 4:30 to take a walk or go to a class at the gym. I don’t even think that my body will know what to do at that time. I know that I would get a lot more done if I got up early. The few people that really know me, know how much I already do in a day….I do not need more time. I know that I would fill it up!!! Lately I have been thinking about being over 40 and attempting to get somewhere near optimal health. Yes, eating right and exercise are important, but I learned while going to a nutritionist that sleep plays a huge part in being healthy. I was a night owl so this is going to be a challenge. Staying up late has always been a part pf me winding down because after you put your children to bed, it is finally quiet. It works for me to be up when no one else is so that I can get thing done when no one will be in the way. I do want to try to see if there are any improvements that can be made that will benefit my health. I am going to do the switch for 30 days to see if it will be beneficial for me and my family. I looked up some benefits of being an early bird. Food for thought…

• It is QUIET! There are no children running around or making noises. The peace and quiet I wait for at night can be accomplished in the morning. Getting time to myself is important. Time that I can use to read, have my tea, think and write (night time antics include win instead of tea, of course).
• Enjoying the Sunrise. When we get up later, we miss the amazing sunrise. Nature gives us calming feelings. There is something mesmerizing about watching the darkness turn to light and your electric bill is not affected. Looking at all  of the beautiful colors that occur as the sun lets us know the day is beginning. I love the sky so that one alone is motivation to get up.
• You can get an amazing start. If you get up earlier than you need to be you can have time to get things done without stressing. I normally get up later and I have to scoot my young people along so that we will not be late. I have a son that is not a morning person at all so he walks around grumpy and upset when we do this. I think I am doing him a favor by letting him sleep but it really does not help. Getting up earlier will help me get what I need done without having to rush.
• Have time to get your thoughts together. Because I have started doing some meditating, it would help if I got up earlier to first of all give thanks for the day. We have to feel Blessed for the opportunity because we all know someone that went to sleep and did not wake. So time to be thankful for just waking is important to me and for me. I can get my thoughts together and call on some positive energy to take with me for the day. I want to be a fountain not a drain to those who encounter me so this will be an even bigger help.
• Breakfast! The most important meal of the day. I know that but I m not going to lie….I do not DO that. I know that I will enjoy sipping on my tea with a devotional or good book early to help to begin my day right.
• Exercise…. I have to admit that even though I wake up late, I do get a walk in in the morning and it helps to bring energy to the rest of my day.
• My commute is better. I know that my drive to work will be a million times better if I am not trying to catch all of the green lights so I can make it to work before my client gets there. I know, shame on me. I’m growing!
• Time to think. I have so many things that I want to do and have to do. I have goals! I have a planner and I am always in it. If I get up earlier I can have time to preview my day so that I can be effective without being stressed. I can plan our family appointments and  get that out of the way early and make sure that we can get there early. I always tell my oldest son that if he is getting to work at his scheduled time, he is late! Everyone needs time to breathe in between the events in our lives.

Now to the hard part, figuring out how I can get this done without crying every morning when the alarm goes off. So here is my game plan….

The first thing that I have to do is move my alarm. I will hit that button so quick your head will spin. It has to go on the other side of the room. When I walk over to turn the alarm off, I am going to work on NOT going near my bed. You know what happens when you get close to your bed and  you are still tired…..yup!

I know that i am also going to have to attempt to go to bed a little earlier. If I stay up late, I will not be able to function when that alarm goes off. I am going to need to come up with a routine that helps me fall asleep without surfing the tv. Reading in bed might help or a good foot massage…any takers? lol

I am thinking that I am going to make the change small so that I can actual feel a little success every day…or week. We will see. Cutting back will help me reach my goal. It will not be 4:30 that is for sure but I will give myself at least another hour or two in the morning.

I know that I will definitely feel better in the mornings. Enjoying that extra quiet time alone will help me to gather my thoughts and be more productive throughout the day. Getting this jump start will be great because I also homeschool my youngest jedi and he will appreciate a fresh mommy teaching instead of the slow-moving-you-can-have-cereal-for-breakfast mom/teacher. He loves when I rarely wake up to do a hot breakfast with everything he can imagine. If I do that more often, I can be awarded the title of

MOM of the Millennium!! What mom doesn’t want that?I just have to make sure that I stay away from my phone once I wake up because I may end up wasting time seeing what happened on social media while I was sleeping. The whole point of this is to get more done and have less stress doing it. There are so many great rewards to getting up early and I want to enjoy them and see what it is like to not have to move 100 mile an hour to do everything because I didn’t get up early, then procrastinated throughout the morning.