There Are Definitely Benefits To Getting Up Early

“We do more before 9 a.m. than most people do in a day”?was made famous in this recruiting advertisement for the U.S. Army. Having served in the United States Air Force, I can attest that the military really does get more done (especially in basic training) between 5 a.m. and 9 a.m. than the average person gets accomplished in his/her eight hour work day. We [Airmen] were in bed by 9 p.m. and up at 5 a.m., no hitting the snooze button or negotiating an extra five minutes under the covers. From the time our feet hit the floor until the time our bodies hit the bed at 9 p.m., we were working on some lesson, drill, task or chore. No such thing as a nap or laying across the bed for a few minutes.

If you were to read about legends such as?Kobe Bryant?or any of the other athletic greats, you will find they all rose around 4 or 5 a.m. each morning. I can recall having a retired neighbor who would be up and about around 4:30 a.m. each morning as I would hear the loud motor of his pick up truck revving up below my bedroom window as he was off to start his day.

Admittedly, I have not always been a morning person, as I really do believe that for those of us who are not in the military, an athlete or work non-traditional hours, this rising at the crack of dawn comes with age. Sort of like "wisdom." As teenagers and young adults, we could hang up and out all night long and sleep most of the morning (if not all of it), however, about the time we reach our fifth decade or more, we see a shift in our sleeping patterns. We tend to go to bed earlier and wake up earlier (kind of like in the military).

By now, I am sure you are wondering what is the point of this article? I am glad you asked.?The point is, I am finding that the best part of the day really is during the very early morning hours beginning around 5 a.m.?It is truly a beautiful time of day. It is quiet and still. A wonderful time for prayer, meditation, mindfulness, reflection, and visualizing your day. You also have the benefit of extending your hours to get things done. For example, even though it is a Sunday and I did not have to wake up early to go to work and could “sleep-in,” I jumped out of bed at my usual time of 6 a.m. and had a full four and a half hours to do some things prior to leaving for my 12:30 p.m. church service. I found my mind to be much more alert as I completed things I wanted to get done such as archive the?latest episode of my radio show, complete a?Duolingo Spanish lesson,?cook and eat breakfast and take a relaxing hot bath compared with my usual shower. I even had an opportunity to check emails, post on Facebook, iron my shirt, and read a chapter or two in a book that I am currently reading. All of this was accomplished prior to my leaving at 11:30 a.m.

The “Saying of the Day” photo above aptly describes what I am getting at in this post. While I did not adhere to this as a teenager or even young adult, I find myself reaping the benefits of rising early and putting myself in the mindset to “Get Things Done.” I challenge you to try rising at 5 or 6 a.m. for a week if you are a late riser and see if you do not get more things done. Feel free to let me know how it goes by emailing me at [email protected]

To learn more about me, please visit my website marcamedley.com