The Benefits of Waking Up Early

Why do successful people wake up extremely early, like 3 or 4 am, every single morning, and how does this help them be more productive and win over the competition? Some of the answers are obvious, like having more time in the day to accomplish tasks, having less distractions, and knowing that your putting in work while your competition sleeps. Some of the answers are less obvious like how seeing the sunrise activates a positivity reaction in our brains which creates an upward spiral. Of all these different benefits to waking up early, there is one answer which stands out the most.

First Things First

The most important answer to this question has to do with accomplishing the first and hardest task of the day. Several things happen when we accomplish out first task. First, similar to how we warm up our bodies before a workout, finishing this first task primes our brain to be more productive for the rest of the day and allows you to get more done more efficiently. Second, accomplishing this first task activates a reward network in the brain which creates a desire for more reward and creates a feeling of success, both of which increase motivation and provide momentum into your next task. This momentum increases after each task completed and creates a sort of domino effect that helps you crush task after task quicker and more efficiently.

But Why Wake Up Early?

There are two reasons. First, by waking up early, we give ourselves time to complete our hardest task with little to no distractions which, upon completing it, creates a powerful domino effect that increases our efficiency and productivity for the rest of the day. Second, completing this first task early in the day primes our brains for success by opening up our reward network, which gives us a feeling of confidence and a drive to accomplish more. By waking up early and accomplishing the first task of the day, we can catapult ourselves into the rest of the day and be more productive and more successful. Think about this when you set your alarm tonight how you plan to put yourself in the best position to succeed tomorrow.