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Inspired by a couple of articles at StevePavlina.com, I’ve started a Becoming an early riser project which I hope will change one of my worst habits. His methods seemed to make sense so I thought I’d give it a try. It’s now been one week and here’s my story so far.

Last week I decided to once and for all change a huge flaw in my character by becoming an early riser. The idea is to teach your body into getting up as soon as the alarm sounds in the morning. Almost as if one were on autopilot. The way the get there is by literally practicing getting up a few times a day slowly easing your body into this at first unpleasant habit. But although it may seem unpleasant at first glance it of course has it’s very beneficial effects, like more waking hours per week, feeling more revived by the sleep you get, feeling more energetic during the day and for me, perhaps most importantly, to feel better about myself. Yes it seems silly, but every time I do oversleep I feel terrible about it all day.

Adding to the list of all other common sense problems about oversleeping, at least here in Finland, is that the days during winter are extremely short. The sun will be up from 8-16 during which time it never really gets up at all. This is at it’s worst right now. And by sleeping until noon I miss several of those critical light hours which I know by 20 years of experience are of great importance to my physical and psychic health. This may seem strange to anyone living in a world of sunshine all day long, but to people like me, living in an area of the world like this, every light hour counts!
I started the experiment hoping using this teaching of mind and body strategy would give me results within a week. It both has and hasn’t. I can say, for the record, that out of eight mornings I’ve gotten up early 4 of them, including last week’s Wednesday and Thursday, this week’s Tuesday and today (Wednesday). This is, for me, a pretty good result considering that weekend. Friday and Monday were unforgivable catastrophes though. I am ashamed…
So I got up early in the morning even though I didn’t really have to, except for on Tuesday. This may indicate that the method I’m using works. But that’s not entirely the case. Although I do get up early, this is something I could do, and do do, with simple force of will. Most people do this every morning - forcing themselves to get up using various methods. What I’ve been promised and hope for is sort of an autopilot action. The feeling that you’re really not in control of what your doing, that it’s not you getting up but your subconscious You. A habit. For example, I’ve developed a habit of always fastening my seatbelt when I enter a car. As a result I’ve never once in the 2.5 years I’ve had my license driven without the seatbelt on. I do it automatically, on autopilot without even thinking about it. I’m hoping for something similar with my getting up in the morning business.
So it hasn’t worked out as advertised - yet. I was probably over optimistic when I expected wonders within a week. So there are no hard feelings. It’s just onwards from here. I have to continue the training. But although the practicing is great and all, and I do the practicing rounds, I must admit that the only real sensation of progress is when I actually do get up immediately in the morning. This is when I feel that I’ve learned something. And the key is to get up immediately or at least within the first 10-20 seconds of your waking up. I’ve taken into use a good old trick that has never failed me, to help me on the way - placing your alarm somewhere in your room so that you have to get up, rise and shine so to speak, to shut it off. It doesn’t have to be more than a few meters away in a chair or something so that it’s easy to get to despite your morning fog and otherwise groggy state. It also helps to have an annoying alarm, like a Spice Girls tune or something which you simply HAVE to turn off immediately. This trick should give me a kick in the right direction every morning.

So until next time, sleep tight and get up early