My challenge for this month is to wake up at 5am to write.
5am is extreme, but it’s peaceful. My mind is fresh and rested and I can work on my book (I’m writing a book about 30 day challenges) without interruption. No kids, no buzzing cellphone, no noise. The time allows me to be creative and focused in a way that my busy, chopped up stay-at-home-mom-day doesn’t permit, and the work is always better. Always.
All I have to do is get out of bed at 5am. Here’s the plan:
Last week… I created a daily calendar of what chapters/sections I will tackle each morning. When I get up, I work only on that chapter and nothing else. Placing constraints on what I can and cannot write about helps me stay on track because it reduces the number of decisions I need to make. My job becomes easier because I know exactly what I must accomplish in the next 60-90 minutes.
The night before…
- To fall asleep more easily,
- no food/drink after 7:30pm (except water)
- no screens after 9pm
- stretch & read
- lights out at 9:30pm
- To get started in the morning,
- close apps and tabs on computer (to prevent distraction)
- open writing app
- leave computer in the living room for the next morning
- double check alarm and place iPhone on the opposite side of the bedroom (forcing me to get up when it goes off)
At 5am…
- To wake myself up, I
- immediately get out of bed to turn the alarm off, no hesitation
- do 5 pushups and 5 jumping jacks
- splash cold water on my face
- To wake my brain up, I start morning pages, or 750 words of stream of consciousness writing (approx 15 minutes)
- Finally, I start writing until the kids wake up
I don’t allow myself to check texts, email or social media. If I find myself bored, stuck or distracted, I’ll either pause for a quick meditation or stand up and stretch. Then I get back to work.
2 days in…
As expected, those first 30 minutes are tough. I’m grumpy and groggy and can think of nothing except how sleepy I am. But then I write, and I get into the writing. The bitterness is replaced with energy and a sense of great satisfaction, knowing that I had the self discipline to get up at 5am and work.
