4 Reasons Why Getting Up Early Will Help You Get More Done

I'm not a morning person.  When I first wake up, it takes a good 30 minutes of watching tv or checking email and Facebook before the fog in my brain clears.

Perhaps you can relate?

Getting up early, especially in the fall and winter months when it's dark and cold, can be difficult to do.  Yet, for the last few months, that's just what I've been doing, and I've watched my productivity soar.

There are many reasons why I've started to get up early to get my work done:

1.  Before your day truly starts, you've gotten something done.  Being a WAHM can be wonderful, but it can also be stressful.  If you're like me and have a big project due, you likely think about that project all day until you can get to it.  And with kids at home, you might not be able to get to the project for quite some time, which may raise your stress levels and perhaps make you irritable with your kids.  (Not that I'm speaking from experience, of course.)

However, if you get up early, you have a segment of time where you can work on a project before you start the day.  This immediately relieves some of the pressure that you may be feeling, and you can enjoy being with your kids without worrying so much.  After all, being able to spend time with our kids is one of the reasons most of us become WAHMs.

2.  You can work without interruptions.  Thirty minutes of uninterrupted time can be as productive (or more productive) than two hours of work time with constant interruptions.  I find I can produce more quality work in a limited time early in the morning than I can all day with the kids around.

3.  Your mind is fresh and clear.  Early in the morning, before the day has truly started, your mind is fresh and clear.  The daily distractions haven't started yet, and there are no immediate problems to take care of.  You can focus solely on work, even if you only have a limited time in which to work.

4.  You have more time to relax later in the day.  Since I'm not a morning person, I previously tried to stay up later in the night to get my work done after the kids went to bed.  I found that I was rarely very productive during these times because I was exhausted from my busy day.  I did stay up late, but I didn't get very much quality work done.  Instead, I mostly wanted to unwind and read a book or watch television, but I felt guilty doing so because I had so much other work to do.  Now, I can relax in the evening knowing I got my most important work done early in the morning.

If you think getting up early isn't for you, I urge you to give it a try for a week or two.  You may be amazed how much more you get done and how much better you feel throughout the day.