Early Hours, New Heights

"How do those who consistently wake up at 6 am fare afterward?"

"It was initially very difficult, impossible to get up at all. But gradually, after making it a habit, one realized its value. Waking up an hour early enables you to accomplish so much. Not only does it improve mental state significantly, but it also doubles work efficiency, making life quality better and better. Being a better person begins with waking up early. Early rising is not merely a habit but an expression of one's control over life and attitude towards life.

What impact does waking up early or late have on life? How does life differ with waking up early or late?

Renowned writer Damon Zahariades recorded his own experience in the book "Morning Makeover." For a period, after quitting his job, he would only get up after 10 a.m. After waking up, he'd surf the web, read the news, browse blogs, and check various websites, then have breakfast. If something urgent needed attention, he'd head out around 11 a.m. If not, he'd stay home until around 1 p.m. He'd feel directionless, at a loss, and very anxious. There's a saying online: "If you can't manage time, you can't manage anything. Time is the scarcest resource in the world. Without strict management, you'll achieve nothing."

To change this situation, Damon decided to wake up early. He started waking up at 4 a.m., having a cup of coffee, reviewing previous work, then spending over an hour reading and writing. After a while, he found his mental state improving gradually. Having something to do, waking up early, eliminated confusion. Life became regular and full of vitality every day. Aristotle once said: "It is well to be up before daybreak, for such habits contribute to health, wealth, and wisdom." Early rising and late rising lead to entirely different lives.

Waking up late may bring brief satisfaction, but it leaves very limited time. Often, there's no time even to have breakfast before rushing out for work, leaving a person exhausted upon reaching the workplace. However, waking up an hour earlier enables one to manage time more calmly. For instance, there's time to tidy up, have breakfast, and take kids to school in an organized manner. After completing these tasks, there's leisure time left for oneself to enjoy some precious moments alone. A disciplined lifestyle starts with waking up early. When waking up early becomes a habit, we gain more control over life.

Invest in the morning to take control of your life.

Ever heard the saying, "He who conquers the morning, conquers life"? Mornings are the best time to invest in yourself, and waking up early can transform your life. There's a person who has maintained a habit of rising around 5 am for over a decade, utilizing this time for self-improvement.

At different stages of her life, the habit of early rising significantly aided her. During her university days, her English proficiency was poor; she was the only student in the class who failed the English Level 4 exam. To enhance her English, she started waking up early for study, and her perseverance over many years made her proficient in English, eventually passing the exam.

Entering the professional world, she used her early mornings to read professional and career-related books, rapidly adapting to the work environment and mastering work skills. Once she became adept at work, she devoted her early mornings to reading books she enjoyed, gradually embarking on the path of writing. Throughout the changes in her job experiences, shifts in her social circle, and the transformations in her life after graduation, her consistent habit remained waking up early.

Early rising is considered the lowest-cost self-discipline method for adults. The first 2-3 hours after waking up each day are deemed the brain's golden time. Utilizing this period well can significantly enhance one's life. If someone wishes to learn new skills or study for professional certificates but cannot find the appropriate time, early mornings serve as an ideal time slot for reading, practice, and preparation. It's an investment in learning, offering an increase in knowledge, cognition, and skills.

Some individuals may be accustomed to staying up late and waking up late, missing the opportunity for breakfast. Waking up early grants ample time to relish a delightful breakfast, an investment in health that can bestow a healthier body.

If someone is interested in cultivating new hobbies to enrich their leisure life, waking up early is an ideal time slot. It can be used for activities like flower arranging, baking, painting, or handicrafts—an investment in hobbies that can enrich one's spiritual life and lead to a more extraordinary self.

Time is the most precious resource. Intelligent individuals learn to value time, learn to wake up early, and fully utilize the golden morning hours to empower their personal growth.

The Miraculous Early Rising Plan that can Transform Your Life

For many, waking up early is a challenging task. Even though alarms are set and they continually remind themselves to wake up early the next day, when the alarm rings the following morning, some choose to switch it off and continue sleeping. The intention to wake up is long forgotten by then.

Is there an effective method to help oneself wake up early? From initially being unable to wake up early to making it a habit, this process can be an effective method for waking up early.

Here are three steps from his method, for reference:

Step 1: Evening mental conditioning. This step is crucial because the first thought in the morning is usually the last thought before falling asleep. Some positive mental conditioning can be done before bedtime. For example, setting waking up early to prepare a hearty breakfast for yourself or your family, dropping off the kids at school, tidying the house, or preparing for the day's outings, etc. Setting goals inspires motivation.

Step 2: Place the alarm clock far away. Placing the alarm clock far from the bed will force oneself to leave the bed and start moving. Movement generates energy. Once out of bed, the body naturally becomes more awake.

Step 3: Directly brush your teeth.

If, after leaving the bed, the desire to continue sleeping persists, immediately go to brush your teeth. Squeeze toothpaste, start brushing, and wash your face with hot or cold water. These simple actions can help invigorate your waking consciousness.

So, after successfully waking up, how can one quickly get into a working state?

1. Engage in light exercise. For instance, do some stretching, morning exercises, or sit down for a few minutes of meditation. This not only stretches the body and dispels drowsiness but also awakens vitality.
2. Record the day's to-do list. Write down the tasks to be completed that day and arrange them by urgency. This methodical action can prevent confusion and omissions, ensuring that no valuable time is wasted.
3. Go outside for exercise. Walk, jog, breathe in the fresh air, and embrace nature. Exercise helps to speed up metabolism, increase energy consumption, not only boosting mental states but also enhancing work efficiency.

These methods can be tailored according to individual circumstances. For optimal results, it requires gradual progression and long-term consistency. After all, "haste makes waste," and a disciplined life requires enduring persistence.

Some say, "Everyone has the same 24 hours, but it's individual choices that determine the value of this day." While we can't change the length of time, we can expand its breadth. Waking up a little earlier, being disciplined, persisting bit by bit—over time, life will be different.

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