Success Advice

What Waking Up at 5am Everyday Has Taught Me

Published

2 years ago

Apr 9, 2022

Image Credit: Unsplash

I’ve always been amazed at people who wake up early. I like to think I’m a morning person, but I’ll be honest, it’s pretty challenging to pull yourself out of bed at 5 am every morning. After doing a ton of research on the benefits of waking up early – the conclusion came to the same thing. Successful people wake up early. Happy people wake up early. And the most productive people wake up early.

Everyone from Oprah, Michelle Obama, Twitter’s CEO Jack Dorsey, Apple’s CEO Tim Cook, President of Ariel Investments, Mellody Hobson, and even Kris Jenner rises at 4:30 am to get in her exercise regimen. All of them wake up between 4 am-5 am.

Now I had to ask myself, “what in the world we’re all of them doing this early in the morning?!”

It all came down to one thing. They were all investing in themselves before the day started. And two of them kept coming up, which were, exercising and mediation.

Michelle Obama said, “If I don’t exercise, I won’t feel good. I’ll get depressed.” Kris Jenner said, “So I feel like I’ve done my cardio; I’m prepared mentally, emotionally, and physically to go and tackle a day.

Science is proving waking up early equals better quality of life

Tim Cook has even said that he goes to the gym every morning to keep his “stress at bay.” Even Oprah says she meditates for about 20 minutes and does a morning workout afterward. Ok, there is clearly something here that I am missing.

Now here’s where it gets interesting. Science is proving this. A study published in the Harvard Business Review concluded that those whose performance peaks in the early hours are, on average, in a better position for career success. In addition, it revealed that morning people are generally more proactive and are more likely to anticipate problems and deal with them effectively.

And to add, according to a study carried out at the University of Leipzig – it proved that there is a strong association between early risers and greater satisfaction with life and reduced vulnerability to mental health problems.

Now I thought to myself, “well, I’d like to be successful, happy, and productive, so maybe I should give this early rising thing a try.”

I knew the only difference between these super successful people and me was their habits. (And of course, their money, power, and fame).

But I knew if I could model their habits, positive change would inevitably occur in my life, yielding me greater satisfaction, health, and productivity. So that’s what I did.

I think I tried every textbook “waking up early strategy” I could.

From moving my alarm to another room, forcing myself to rise from bed to go to another room to turn off the alarm. To setting three alarms within 10 min of each other. I even laid out all my gym clothes the night before so it would be easier to get out the door.

Each of them somehow, I found an escape route. Because I had two phones, I would set one alarm and move it to another room, but when it ranged off in the morning, I’d use my other phone in my bedroom to call my alarm phone so that it would turn off.

There were even moments where I did wake up, and I would tell myself, “just five more minutes.” You know how this goes. Five minutes turned into another 45 min. Eventually, I would finally get up and be upset with myself throughout the rest of the day.

I also had to get over going to sleep at a decent time. I needed a bedtime. This was new to me. I honestly thought “bedtimes” were just a childhood thing. Wrong!

With all the distractions, pings, social media timelines – you can easily distract yourself well into the night, which can have huge ramifications when you wake up in the morning.

Feeling groggy, tired, and my eyes-burning was something I absolutely hated, but I kept doing it to myself every night for some odd reason. Falling asleep with my phone – trying to scroll to see that last picture on Instagram or finishing an email I need to send off in the morning.

I challenged myself to wake up early for about two months. It was tough, but it wasn’t until one morning that really did it for me.

Something had to change

One morning I arose, and just like I always do, my phone alarm rang in the other room, and I woke up quietly trying not to wake my fiancée, Kiara, to tippy-toe to the other room to turn off the alarm.

After I turned it off, I crept back into our bedroom, and Kiara said, “back in the bed again, huh?”

That’s when it hit me. I was pathetic. All I could see in my head was a pathetic husband and future father who couldn’t show up for himself to be a caretaker and provider. Ok, as you can see, my mind definitely exaggerated a bit! But this is how I felt standing there in the cold dark room trying to ease my back into bed at 5 am.

I kept thinking something was going to change, but nothing was. I knew I had to make a change if I truly wanted to see results in my life.

It’s like that famous saying goes, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”

Well, this was me, and according to this quote, I was insane to think that my life would change if I didn’t change myself first. I didn’t change, so the same results continued to manifest. Who was I kidding.

After Kiara said that, I immediately put on my clothes and went straight to the gym. Something clicked, and my willpower went right into action.

After my workout and shower, I started working from home and experienced an enormous sense of satisfaction around 9 am that day.

The satisfaction stemmed from knowing that I can muster up the willpower even when I feel like I don’t want to do anything and, of course, the famous “runners high” after you get from a good workout.

After waking up at 5 am for a week after that day, I felt like I was getting some “pep in my step.” I felt like I wasn’t at the effect of circumstances in my life. I felt like I was in control of my life. Not only that, but I also felt like life was working for me, rather than against me.

It was a sense of ease and flowed throughout my day, which I fell in love with. This control over my day yielded me the ability to bounce back from adversities quicker.

Since that cold dark morning of March 2020, I’ve continued to wake up at around 5 am every morning because of the benefits its provided me.

Here are some suggestions you can implement into your morning routine:

Gratitude journaling
Meditation (my favorite and by far the most significant habit that’s played a role in my success and health.)
Hitting the gym
Reading an inspirational, self-help, or leadership book for 20 min
Visualization exercises on your future goals

Related Topics:how to wake up early mindset morning routine motivation Success Tips wake up early waking up early

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Chazz Scott is a keynote speaker and mindset expert. He trains entrepreneurs, leaders, and professionals to achieve their potential personally and professionally. Chazz is also the Executive Director & Chief Creative Optimist of Positively Caviar, Inc., a grassroots 501(c)(3) nonprofit, focused on using optimism and positive thinking to build mental resilience and disrupt mental health stigmas in underserved communities. For more info, check out his weekly blog at: www.chazzscott.com or download his latest workbook designed to help you build good habits and break bad ones to achieve your goals faster: download here.

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How to Break the Cycles of Mediocrity and Manifest Your Greatness

There is no greatness without becoming and there is no becoming with authenticity

Published

4 weeks ago

Nov 16, 2023

Jamelle Sanders

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In just a few weeks, we will be wrapping up 2023. Can you believe it? This year has been absolutely incredible for me.

I have seen amazing doors opened, new relationships formed and I am seeing dreams realized in my life. While this seems like the hallmarks of a great year, this has also been the most challenging year of my life. With all of the change happening in my life, I have been forced out of my comfort zone and challenged to grow in every area of my life.

I can truly say that I have made the most of my moments this year and I have used everything as a catalyst for maximizing my greatest potential.

As a revolutionary leader, I have the pleasure of consulting and advising leaders around the world to fulfill purpose, realize their greatest potential and make an impact.

I want to share some insights with you that will help you to break cycles of mediocrity and manifest your greatness.

Everything legal must come through the matrix

I am sure that some of you are wondering why I am using the term matrix. However, what you have to understand is that I am trying to make a highly complex spiritual principle practical to understand.

Regardless of your spiritual beliefs, every life has an origin and I believe that origin is divine and begins with eternity. You are birthed from eternity and into time to fulfill a unique purpose and assignment in your lifetime and generation.

The matrix is simply the portal or vehicle that brings something out of the invisible realm and into tangible form. The problem with much of the teaching today is that it excludes the matrix. We are told to believe that success is instantaneous and overnight.

Nobody talks about how a dream progresses through stages beginning with visualization and ultimately culminating in manifestation. Without a matrix or portal then everything that you attempt to birth and build will be illegal.

The matrix not only makes you legal but it gives you the authority and power to function as the greatest expression of who you were created to be.

Every matrix has an incubation process

While many people admire and respect me today, I remember a time when nobody knew who I was or the significance of my message. How did I get to where I am today? I got here through an incubation process.

In other words, everything that has been destined for your life is incubating and awaiting a set time of manifestation. The problem is that most people live their entire lives idle and never initiate the incubation process.

What do I meany by that? Most people are living reckless and very few people are living intentionally. I am amazed at the number of people I have conversations with that have no vision, goals or strategies for their lives. They show great promise and they have undeniable potential.

However, without development they will die with their dreams still in them.

Everything that has been destined for your life must be incubated and converted to become realities born to time.

“Visualize this thing that you want, see it, feel it, believe in it. Make your mental blueprint and begin to build.” – Robert Collier

You must give expression to that which is not yet born to time

When you think about a matrix or a prophetic incubation process, you have to understand that potential is often unrealized and untapped. In other words, your potential is in raw form and your potential cannot serve you as long as it is untapped.

The thing that makes me valuable is that I have the ability to convert potential into power. I have done it in my own life and I have empowered leaders around the world to do the same. How do you convert potential into power?

First, it is important to note that you have to perceive potential. If you cannot perceive your potential then you can never cultivate your potential. In addition, you must take the time to cultivate your potential. We often get excited about our capabilities; however, we never expand our capacity in order to realize our greatest potential.

In other words, the strength of your potential is only discovered through your willingness to stretch. The more we are challenged the more we are empowered to expand our capacity for greatness. Most of all, you must begin to express your potential. The expression of potential is different for every person.

For example, the expression of my potential is best demonstrated through the thoughts, ideas, products, services, books, etc.

For another person the expression of potential may look like a screenplay, artwork, sports, scientific discoveries, medical breakthroughs, etc.

Regardless of the form of expression, I know that you will live empty and unfulfilled until you make the decision to express your potential. The expression of your potential gives voice to your dreams, life to your vision, significance to your moments and activates your true power.

You must manifest your greatness

As a revolutionary thinker and leader, my work has impacted people around the world. I am grateful that my life is a source of empowerment to so many people. However, before anyone could ever benefit from my life, I had to make a non-negotiable decision to become who I was born to be.

I wish I could tell you that this journey is easy and that you will get there overnight. However, in a world that celebrates us for doing we are often criticized for being. As a result, I wasted a lot of time trying to be who other people wanted me to be instead of being who I was born to be.

There is no greatness without becoming and there is no becoming with authenticity. It is through our bravery to be vulnerable that we ultimately manifest our greatness. We do not bless the world by being a duplicate. We bless the world when we honor our difference. When you honor your difference you honor your potential.

Ultimately, your difference is how you manifest your greatness.

When you present anything but your authentic self to the world, you are playing small and you are robbing the world of your significance. Manifesting your greatness requires you to master your gifts.