why i rise early

Before I had kids I used to hit snooze multiple times every morning. I waited until the last possible minute to bolt out of bed, then I rushed to get ready, quickly scanning the newspaper and grabbing whatever I could for breakfast. When my kids were younger they would loudly wake me up nice and early. I would head downstairs in a daze, mindlessly scroll my phone and stand at the fridge wondering what we were going to eat. Whether I was hitting snooze or being woken by my kids I was reacting to the day before it had even started. I was fumbling along hoping the day would be a good one. Hoping luck was on my side. And, often frustrated and wondering why the things I wanted to do and achieve didn't happen.

Contrast what I just described with what my mornings looked like when I was a competitive synchronized swimmer. All through high school I would wake at 5:00 am so I could be on the pool deck ready to go for 5:45 am. There was no stumbling out of bed. There was no wondering what my day would look like. There was no hoping that things would happen if I just winged it. I started each day with intention and a plan so I could achieve the things I wanted to.

My early mornings ended when I went to university and left the synchronized swimming world. I stayed up late. I ate like shit. I sort of studied. I had gone from a structured world where I rose early and had accountability to my parents, coaches, teammates and teachers to one where it was entirely up to me to find the motivation and self-discipline to thrive. In my new university world, where I had more time on my hands than I knew what to do with, I struggled to self-motivate. It was easier to stay up late, lounge in bed in the morning and let the day just happen than get up early and start my day with purpose.

When I started working after university I continued to roll through the day hoping that it would be a good one. Hoping that the stars would align and everything would go smoothly. Hoping that somehow I would find the time to exercise, read, cook a great meal, call a friend, write an awesome proposal or go for a walk with my husband. Hoping that my life would be great. Don't get me wrong ... life is nothing if you don't have hope. But, hope without a plan will always leave you wondering why the things you had hoped for never seem to materialize. I was hoping for the best but instead reacting to what life handed me each day. I was bolting out of bed every morning, jolted into reality by either my alarm clock or my kids and not being deliberate about what I wanted my day to look like. I was reacting to life.

I grew increasingly frustrated with myself. I was tired. I felt like a spinning top. I needed to make a change even though it seemed overwhelming to do so. It was at this point, right around my fortieth birthday, that I started to really think about my daily routine and how I wanted to feel. I started to observe my habits and keep track of what was working and what wasn't. This awareness was key. Over time I had forgotten how much I thrived in the early hours of the day.

I decided that if I started the day with a plan I had a better chance of achieving the things I wanted. I started waking up before everyone else in my house. This gave me the time and space without interruption to think about the day and be intentional with how I wanted to feel. This was a game-changer for me. By the time everyone in my house woke up I was ready for the day. Not hitting snooze each morning was a conscious decision and has not always been easy. Habits take practice. Habits take time. But based on how much better I was feeling with just this one change I knew this was one habit worth keeping.

A morning routine doesn't have to be complicated but it has to be consistent. I have tinkered with what I do when I rise each morning over the years but but I continue to wake early no matter what. Having this time to myself keeps me grounded and clears my mind. This one shift has made me a better human. When I have risen early, I no longer hope that the day will be what I want it to be. I have a plan and am ready to go.

I am grateful to have gone back to my early morning roots even if it took a lot of years to get there. My favourite time each morning, especially in the spring and summer, is when the silence of the darkness recedes as the birds start to sing and greet the new day. Early mornings to myself energize me and breathe life into my mind and body. As the world around me stumbles awake I stand tall, ready to greet the new day.

Over to you my reader … do you rise to greet the start of the day, too?

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