“First forget inspiration. Habit is more dependable. Habit will sustain you whether you’re inspired or not.” - Octavia Butler

I’m a night owl. Truly I am. In periods of my life when I had no reason to have a schedule - like between university terms for example, or on vacation - my body naturally gravitates towards waking up later and coming alive later in the day. 

So why do I even fight that? Well, like you probably, I have heard and read over and over that waking up early is one of the strongest and most recommended habits of super successful people. You have probably seen the (good) advice to: wake up at the same time on weekends as you do on weekdays, don’t use your techie devices in the couple of hours before bed, have a productive bedtime and morning routine. 

But more than that, it’s not just “waking up early” that makes you successful of course, it’s what  you do with the early time that sets you up for success each day that is what makes people successful. I get that. It makes sense. But even more than THAT, is I have personally experienced over and over the fantastic benefits of an effective and powerful morning routine, which includes time focusing on goals for the day and long-term, setting priorities, exercise and reading (for learning and inspiration). It really does work. But it is also one of the most difficult habits to establish for us true night owls. 

So today I’m not writing about why or how it works, or the routine you should have. Instead I am writing this to help those of us who are not naturally “early morning people” find ways to use and benefit from an early morning routine of champions!

It would be ideal if we could all literally just jump out of bed when the alarm (which is in another room) goes off. That’s what the champions of this recommend and I can see why: if you CAN, you should. And for some it’s like ripping off the bandaid.  Research shows that this works. So I want you to try that first. On most mornings I do. 

But what if there’s mornings where I’m just feeling extra groggy or like I can’t do it? I don’t beat myself up. But, I DO get up. And I coach other night owls in the same way successfully because I’d rather we find a way for them to wake up early than just say “I’m a night owl” and not be able to reap the benefits of this difficult but worthwhile habit. 

Here’s some tips for how to have a powerful morning routine when you’re a night owl (I promise, it’s worth it!):

. Shift your “going to sleep” schedule gradually: It takes about a week to change your sleep and wake schedule, depending on how big a swing you are trying to make. Think of it as like adjusting to a new time zone far away with many hours difference. You may feel a bit groggy for a few days but do you not go on vacation to that place? I think not! You need to shift your going to sleep schedule gradually over a few days to up to a week. Otherwise you may find yourself too tired and you won’t keep it up. Your body WILL adjust if you do it gradually and keep it up every day. If something extraordinary happens where you find yourself having to stay up really late (a wedding, for example) you should still get up early, or maybe just one hour later. Otherwise this will be a slippery slope and your head will spin at how fast you get back into your old “night owl” ways. Just let yourself be tired for that one day after. It’ll help you fall asleep at the “right” time too rather than if you sleep in and then can’t fall asleep at the time you are trying to establish with your new habit. 

2. The best option is still to jump out of bed when your alarm goes off, and that alarm should be outside of your bedroom so you have to get up to turn it off. But, a temporary option for night owls or on those cold winter mornings, is to have two alarms: one by your bed that you set for 5 minutes earlier than you actually want to get out of bed, turn it off right away but then DON’T fall back asleep. Sit up if you have to. Or it’s okay to snuggle under the covers for a bit but do something active enough to keep your eyes from closing. I recommend doing stretches, and gradually getting your mind in action: thinking about your goals and priorities for the day. It makes the actual jumping out of bed a little easier if you do it gradually but you actually DO it .Then when your second alarm goes off, the one in another room, you’re at least less groggy and you can then jump up and seize the day in a slightly less painful way. If taking just 5 minutes longer to get out of bed in a way that makes you feel great rather than horrible allows you to still get up at the same  early time, I’m good with that. Just USE those 5 minutes to wake yourself up and not close your eyes again. 

3. Put on your exercise clothes as soon as you get out of bed. Do some exercise for at least 20-30 minutes when you wake up. Or get outside and walk your dog. Making this part of your morning routine right away will wake you up and set you up for the rest of your morning routine. If you need coffee first, set it up the night before and use your coffee drinking time to read and learn and focus on your goals, meditating or journaling. But get your body moving as soon as possible in the morning, even for just 20 minutes. 

4. Follow the “no devices” rule. Even night owls can follow this one. No checking emails, social media, news. Nothing. Not until you have completed your power morning routine and got yourself set up for success in your day. 

5. Plan your morning routine and write it down in detail. Literally start with: 

>stretch

>get out of bed

>go to the bathroom

>put on workout clothes

>let the dog out to pee

>put on coffee pot

> etc. 

Write down every detail and follow that plan. You don’t have to share that level of detail with everyone, but do write it down and follow it at a tiny detail level. This will help you build habits as it’s these seemingly tiny actions, done every day, that will automatize your morning routine eventually. You will also find that you start to save time in the mornings as you follow the list. It stops that groggy, wandering around wondering what to do next and wasting time in your mornings. Do this for as long as you need to. Forever if it helps. 

6. Hire a coach or be accountable to a friend or family member who “gets it” and who can help you with techniques and accountability and helping you find ways to stay motivated to keep taking actions towards your goals. 

7. Know your “why”.  Knowing why you want to take actions and develop new habits is crucial. It is at these “I’m a night owl and this early morning sucks” stuff moments that you can quickly and easily remind yourself why you’re doing that. In fact, you can make it part of the very first thoughts you have when that alarm goes off. “Because other people say it’s a good idea and their lives seem good” is  not motivating” at 5:30 AM when that alarm goes off. You have to be very clear on your goals  and vision for what you want out of life - short-term and long-term. And also be clear on the steps and actions you need to take to reach those goals. When you are super clear on that stuff then you can easily connect any time you want or need to those goals and get yourself fired up and awake! Use your goals to find the motivation you need to make that right choice in that right moment, in this case when that alarm goes off.  

HABITS SPARK!: Developing new habits can be hard.  But it’s the way you get what you want ultimately. So, there’s that. Connecting your habits to your priorities to your actions to your goals. That’s the way to success. Even for us night owls. 😉

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