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How To Start A Successful Morning Routine When You’re A Night Owl

morning routine productivity Mar 20, 2023

Some say being a successful entrepreneur requires having a consistent morning routine, but what if you're a night owl?

 As a self-proclaimed night owl (working late after the kids go to bed!), I wondered if I was missing out on a hidden superpower and thought I'd give the whole early morning routine a try.
 
 
Failed attempt #1 
So, I attempted with all my might to get up before my kids did and try a new morning routine.
 
 
It was to consist of meditating, goal setting, stretching and yoga.
 
 
The first few days I could barely open my eyes and for the most part pressed the snooze button until at least 6am, which only gave me about 15 minutes before my kids woke up. But, with some support from some business friends, some lemon water and coffee, I was able finally able to get there!

Let's dive into five things that can help you create a morning routine even if you are a night owl.

 

1) You need the support of other people.

Support and accountability are ultimately what got me there.
I was invited by a group of 4 other entrepreneurs to join them on a "Think and Grow Rich" challenge. The premise is that you wake up every single morning for the next 90 days at 530am and read a chapter from the book, "Think and grow rich" as a group.
The idea is that by the end of the 90 days you are to be amazed by what you can accomplish (getting up whether you feel like it or not) plus the added bonus of your total new "money-mindset" shift.
One of the big rules was if one person missed a call, the whole group would have to start the book over at the beginning and re-set your 90 days.
I tell you…NOBODY wanted to be the one who missed. This was a huge motivator that got all of us up before the crack of dawn.
After the second week it was even easier, and after the first month, my body was naturally waking up a few minutes before the alarm clock every day.
After our readings, I'd jump into the rest of my morning routine (exercising and goal setting) and to my delight, I found myself being more productive, happier throughout the day and getting more done in my business overall.

 

2) Lemon water next to the bed
Lemon water was something else that was a big help in that first month to get me up and out of bed for those morning calls.

Place some drops of fresh lemon juice into a bottle of water and place it next to your bed before you go to sleep. As soon as the alarm goes off, at whatever unearthly hour you've chosen, drink the entire bottle of water (8 oz or so). This will refresh you, help you become alert, as well as flush out all those nighttime toxins. Hey, if you still fall back to sleep you'll at least be forced to wake up when you have to rush to use the restroom an hour later.

 

3) Coffee
Not everyone drinks coffee I know,
but I believe this also helped me set my new "early bird" clock as my body got used to this jolt of energy at 530am. If you're trying to avoid caffeine, perhaps some herbal tea or hot chocolate will help get you going this early.

 

4) A quick hop in the shower.
Another great way to tell your body it's GO time is to hop into a shower. Although I've heard many people say a cold shower is the way to go, to really shock your body into alertness …I just can't bring myself to do it.

 

5) A bedtime routine

Last but not least, if you're a night owl it can be HARD to turn off your mind and go to bed early in order to have enough sleep the next day. I drank chamomile tea and started to unwind about an hour before I wanted to be in bed. I would read a book and then dim the lights. Even with doing all that I found it difficult to fall asleep.

Ultimately what really got me in bed at a decent hour, was just from the sheer exhaustion of being up since 5am! So stick with it my friend.

On day 90 we decided to close the group as planned and re-visit the idea of meeting in the future. We all decided we'd celebrate by sleeping in! Needless to say my body was so used to this new schedule that I awoke right at 520am as it had for the last few months.


After the group ended, there were a couple of days I did sleep in and I tell you, these days were not nearly as productive as the days when I had awoken at 530am.


So I immediately got myself back into the habit of waking up at 530am for this much needed time.


This morning routine has my days start with such positivity, organization and just general "feel good" vibes that I don't ever want to go back to not having my morning routine. 

 

Want to add even more productivity to your day? 

Download your free copy of 5 Top Productivity Hacks for Female Entrepreneurs below

 

 

UPDATE: Ok, It's been a while since I first wrote this post and I have to say old habits die hard. A lot of nights, I slipped back into my night owl habits, but for the most part I am waking up about 25 minutes before the kids which still gives me a much-needed boost to my day! Ultimately do what works for you and your body!

 

 

 

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