Why Waking Up Early Works
The best mornings are those that I bounce out of bed by 5:00 AM to chip away at various creative endeavors. All of the available hours are ahead of me, I have slain the snooze button demon, songbirds are chirping through the darkness, steam rolls off of my deep well of black coffee, and from under my cozy cape of a thick woolen blanket, I am unstoppable! Maybe I’ll pause for a walk break or a quick ride. Maybe not. For four hours, I am the Time King.
6:00 AM comes in at a close second. The sun is shooting golden beams through the windows, and the neighbors are still pretty silent, no one is texting, our cats are somewhat polite. Focus is available in spades. Breakfast will likely be more satisfying than a hurried bowl of cold, flaky grains. I might be able to squeeze in a little weight lifting, but this is a good chunk of time either way. I can get my hands dirty before being halted by the grind.
7:00 AM is okay, too, if I get straight to work. No dilly-dallying, probably lucky if I even bother with cereal, skipping the long pondering walk. The cats are only mildly fussy after they’ve had their day’s first bowl of meaty substances. The neighbors are mostly inactive, and no one is texting; email is optional. The light is still gorgeous, and the birds are still chirping. One can conquer hills at 7:00 AM, which will feel insurmountable by 7:00 PM tonight.
8:00 AM. Oops. Fine, I’ll start scraps of things. Jot down some ideas. By 8:00 AM, the world is awake, and it wants your attention. Unless you are independently wealthy, have no personal responsibilities, and no human connections, chances are that by 8:00 AM, your focus is going to be fractured.
Yes, many of us feel we are night owls. Maybe you can invert this schedule, but that is hard to pull off if you have a 9 to 5, or 9 to 7, or heaven forbid a 9 to 9 job like many American’s do. Trust me, I have tried every combination of before work, after work, half before/half after, 3 hours here, an hour there. The reason waking up early works is that most people don’t want to.
Most people won’t be worming into your ears, sharing your space at 5:00 AM. Even if they are awake, they might not be larks. They could be a lot like me, a groggy Time King, greedy for a chunk of interrupted peaceful quiet to tumble down. A cavernous, spiraling tunnel of time, wide open to the possibilities of whatever I decide to do. Ah, freedom.
As for parenthood, that is a matter that I can not frankly speak to with authority. If your child is a lark (and I hear many are), you might have a scant sliver of time. Conversely, if you have night owl roommates, the late-night partying is pretty hard to sleep through, also. The only solution for me was to abscond to a studio apartment and then later live with a partner who also loves, needs, and respects the lure of personal projects. That isn’t easy in an expensive area like Los Angeles, and maybe you can’t pull that off.
The best solution I can offer without knowing all of your challenges is that if you want to sip from the mythical cup of freedom and focus, tell everyone around you that this is your priority. Create a plan with your loved ones to give you an uninterrupted piece of the day that belongs only to you and your muse of choice. These are the people we love, after all. They will want to help.
But why in the morning? Just because it is quiet? That sounds lonely, you say. You need clamor and bustling, and people around you to create! The morning still beats the evening for one simple reason; it comes first.
Pay yourself first. That is what financial advisors tell us, and that is what I do. I pay my creative self first before anyone, or anything else requests a portion of my energy. By doing your creative work first thing in the morning, there are no evening excuses to hinder you, such as “Well, okay, just one drink.” Or “Just one episode of Space Saga 510.” Or the famous, “Man, that take-out put me in a carb coma, I just need to rest a bit.” Not to mention mini emergencies that friends or family may have. Uh oh, look, it is 11:00 PM. Better get some rest for work tomorrow. My book/sculpture/knitted scarf/etc. can wait. No, it can’t. There are enough evening excuses to make your project wait a lifetime.
Lastly, and most importantly of all, tackling your projects first thing in the morning imbues you with an enormous sense of confidence for the rest of your day. Go out there knowing life’s daily nonsense won’t defeat you. Your vision will materialize. You are now a juggernaut, a victorious Time King!
