By Colin J. Campbell

Getting up early is something I have been doing for years, I get more done between 5 and 8 a.m. and as a result can often spend the afternoon’s doing something besides trying to earn a living.

Rising early doesn’t appeal to everyone; many are night owls and would rather be going to bed at 5 a.m. as opposed to getting up at that hour. For those of you who function best in the morning and enjoy that time of the day but find it easier to reach for the snooze button instead of hitting the cold floor here are ten suggestions to help you change the habit.

Put the alarm clock out of reach – If hitting the snooze button and going back to sleep is the norm then perhaps you need to put the alarm far enough away that you have to get out of bed to hit the snooze. Simple solution and it works, most often because of the elbow in the side from your spouse who doesn’t plan to get up before six and has just been rudely awakened by the alarm.

I gave up on alarm clocks years ago and decided to set my mental alarm for 5 a.m. It took awhile but once I got in the habit I never used an alarm again. It makes for much better relations with my spouse as well.

Change the sound of your alarm – No longer do you have to have an alarm clock that rings a bell, you can use your Smartphone as an alarm and set the alarm music to something that you enjoy, perhaps the music you listen to while you exercise or read. Now waking up is not going to be a heart stopping event but rather a gentle reminder that you did say you wanted to be up before six.

Have a drink of water – Keep a glass of water beside the bed and first thing when you wake have a drink. You are dehydrated when you wake up and having a drink of water has an immediate effect, it wakes you up but it also stimulates your senses and will quickly revitalize you brain.

Do something physical for 60 seconds – This is not your exercise routine. But stretching, touching your toes and deep breathing will help to get everything moving again and stimulates blood flow.

Prepare you daily five list the night before – This simple habit relieves stress. Write down before you go to bed the night before the five things you will accomplish the next day. When you get up at 5 a.m. review the list and do the ones that are most interesting first, you will be amazed how many of your five items will be done before you leave the house.

Eat breakfast – Proper nourishment is essential don’t leave it to later or start your day with nothing more than a cup of coffee, you got up early so you would not be rushed, having breakfast only enhances your performance. It is the most important meal of the day and a hearty breakfast means you won’t be as hungry when you break for lunch. It also combats the tendency to grab whatever is available to kill the hunger pains mid morning.

Do the fun things first – Getting up early allows you the extra time to do the things you enjoy, so why not reward yourself by doing the fun things first. If you have put them on your five list, start with the fun things and enjoy the quiet time doing something that you gain pleasure from.

Go to bed early – An adult needs seven to eight hours sleep if you wake at 5 a.m. you need to be in bed at 10 p.m. That might be difficult at first and you will be nodding off in the mid afternoon looking for a nap, there is nothing wrong with that either, cat naps are effective ways to revitalize. The better solution is to get in the habit of going to bed earlier. It takes time to change so don’t be hard on yourself, if getting up early is your goal you will gradually change your sleeping habits, either that or your spouse will tell you to go to bed because your snoring is interfering with the television.

Meditate – There is no better way to start the day and clear the mind than to meditate. It is not difficult to get started you can find suggestions on Google or buy a book. The simplest way to get started is to sit comfortably and concentrate your mind on your breathing, paying attention to breathing in and out and nothing else. It takes practice, however practice is cumulative what you do today will be added to what you do tomorrow. You may only be able to do this for a few minutes before your mind wanders, gently refocus and carry on; over time you will get to the point where you can meditate for 10 or 15 minutes at a time. Clearing your mind of clutter through meditation allows for creativity, it allows your mind to think about new ideas and calms stress.

Write down 10 new ideas – This is a hard one, it takes practice to come up with ten new ideas every day. However the only way to accomplish this is to start, it could be your salvation. The future, thanks to technology is exciting and at the same time scary, we are going to see changes in just about every facet of our lives. We have all grown up with the belief that having a great job with a large corporation is the way to an enjoyable life and a comfortable retirement. That concept is rapidly changing, self employment, working on contract and having several employers’ looks like the way of the future. Having good ideas may just be your salvation. Why not get started? Make it a habit to think of ten great ideas and write them down every day.

These are 10 ideas; there are probably twenty more compelling reasons why you should be getting up early. When you come up with them why not share them. Just send an email.

– Colin J. Campbell CFP, CLU is an independent financial advisor and managing partner of Guidance Planning Strategies Ltd, in Cranbrook.  Serving the Kootenays since 1995, Guidance Planning Strategies focuses on helping families and entrepreneurs create wealth and keep it for generations.

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