I've been waking up at 6 AM for the past couple of years and it has changed the way I experience life. I won't even pretend to be original: you have probably seen countless articles or YouTube videos about these « Morning People » who wake up before dawn to kickstart the day. Well... I’m one of them. And I think you might be too.
Morning, who?
Picture this: your iPhone rings, it's 07:30 AM and you have to be out by 8 AM. Ain't got time to think: you jump in the shower, your toothbrush in your mouth, with only one idea in mind: "I am going to be SO LATE ... again". If this story feels more familiar to you than fictional, well... welcome home. I used to be there too.
© Leon Biss, Unsplash
Night Owl vs. Early Birds
I used to be a night owl through and through and, nobody who knows me well could deny it. The night was my holy ground, my place, my home. I knew some people might actually be ‘awake’ in the morning but I certainly wasn't one of them. What’s the point of waking up earlier than you should when you could be sleeping instead, right?
Well, I couldn’t have been more wrong. From being stressed and forced to get ready to leave in a rush without even eating breakfast, mornings have quickly become the best part of my day. I still thrive in the latest hours of the night but I wouldn’t trade my first awake moments for anything in the world.
Waking up at 6 AM • The Routine
My Morning Routine has evolved quite a lot over the years (since 2016), yet it stays rather simple:
1. Waking Up
I usually wake up at 6 AM every day. I make sure to let my phone on my desk instead of my nightstand so that I’m forced to get up to turn the alarm off.
2. Getting ready
Once up, I make my way to the bathroom to brush my teeth and shower, get out and dress, hairstyle, etc.
3. Prepare breakfast
Time to eat! I get the water heated for the tea, get my fruits out, and, depending on the day I’ll either bake eggs & bread or have rice milk + cereals. If I haven’t done it yet, I also get my lunch ready for the and put and in my bag. By then, it’s around 6:35 AM.
4. Pray, meditate, and read
Once everything is ready, I settle into my bed to take time for myself, while sipping my tea. - I take the time to pray and to think,
- I meditate for 10 minutes with the Waking Up App by Sam Harris,
- I recite my Personal Mission Statement to make sure I remember my long-term goals and priorities.
- Lastly, I read.
Usually, in the morning, I like to read a Self-Help, a biography, or a science book before diving into fiction later in the day. As I’m writing this post I’m reading “Show your work” by Austin Kleon (Highly Recommend!). I usually read on my Kindle.
5. Create
Then (and this is my favorite part), I take time to actually do something I love : writing and creating. I launch a timer for 10 minutes and for the next 600 seconds I have only one goal: to write as much as I can, whether for the blog, for the newsletter, for clients, etc. It’s amazing how only 10 minutes a day can have so much impact on my life and overall happiness. This is my 10 minutes rule.
By this time it’s around 07:30 AM and it’s almost time for me to go, so I get my bag ready, check if there is anything else I need to do (did I turn off the stove?), get my coat on and go!
Let's chat
Thank you for reading, I hope you found something interesting in this post. Now, what about you, are you more of an early bird or a night owl? Have you ever tried waking up at 6 AM for an extended period of time?
Last updated: 2 years ago