A little background on me: I am NOT a morning person. I never have been and as I approach 50, I don’t see it changing any time soon (although I am not as big of a night owl as I used to be). And when I am not sure what I want to blog about, I often look at various blog aggregates or social media and look for inspiration from other writers and bloggers. As I search for something, I invariably find an article telling me that to be successful, I need to maximize my mornings.
For example, Morning Routine for Entrepreneurs: How to Kick Off Your Day Feeling Driven. Author Nancy Solari says:
The key to having a purposeful day is starting your morning off with a strong routine, and having a good morning routine for entrepreneurs will increase your chances of success in the long run.
So let’s go through her tips and see if I have what it takes to be successful.
1. Stimulate the Mind
She suggests journaling and self-reflection when you wake up. I normally wake up to either my Great Pyrenees mix barking or lab mix pawing at me followed by my beagle sitting on my chest until I scratch his back. Or sometimes it’s my alarm then the dog trampling. Either way, the only self-reflection I am doing is figuring out how long all of us can hold our pee before I have to get up.
She also recommends reading or solving a crossword puzzle as “even the smallest act of reading and exercising the mind can jumpstart your brain and rejuvenate you.” I assume social media doesn’t count so it’s not looking good for me.
Then she says if you are someone who would prefer to use your mornings to relax and veg out, then watch the news. WATCH THE NEWS?!? I don’t know what news she is watching, but the last thing I do is turn to the news to relax.
2. Participate in Physical Action
OK, between walking my 3 dogs, then going to either workout or play Pickleball, I do start most of my days with physical action. That’s really for my mental health, but we’ll count it.
3. Communicate and Use Your Voice
According to the article “When you aren’t communicating and using your voice, you are actually living at a lower vibration.” I don’t really know what that means, but I assume it’s bad. I work from home by myself unless it’s summer and my kids and teacher husband are home so I don’t really have anyone to talk to.
But I don’t let that stop me. I talk to my dogs (and myself) ALL DAY LONG as well as sing randomly (think Jess from New Girl) so I think I can check this one off too! I would hate to live life at a lower vibration after all. Maybe I do have what it takes…
4. Clear the Clutter and Make a Schedule
You should start your day by cleaning your desk, office, and doing daily responsibilities first thing. Clear your inbox and reply to emails so you have the rest of your day to focus. Then make a schedule and categorize your duties.
Y’all know I am big on lists so that I can do. But I do not start my day cleaning. I don’t end my day cleaning for that matter.
After I take my dogs out, I make some tea and sometimes some breakfast. Then I sit in my big comfy chair under a blanket even it’s 90 degrees outside and scroll though Instagram Reels or watch Disney Parks videos on YouTube. Then I force myself up and start my day very begrudgingly.
If “the way I start my day determines how the rest of my hours will flow” then I am screwed.
Don’t get me wrong, this is good advice and if you are one of those people who bound out of bed in the morning, you do you!
But I am over this whole “you HAVE to get up at 5am” to be successful.
In fact, according to If You Aren’t a Morning Person, Neuroscience Says Please Stop Trying to Be, whether you’re an early riser or a night owl is predominately biological.
Successful people who are early risers aren’t necessarily successful as a result of waking up early; they’re successful because they’ve matched their body clocks to their schedules.
When you start working doesn’t matter. What matters is what you get done in the hours between when you stop and start working.
Success is all about what you accomplish.
Not the time of day you accomplish it.
And if you aren’t a morning person OR a night owl? That’s fine too. It’s estimated that some 50% of the population isn’t really morning or evening-oriented, but somewhere in the middle.
What about you? Where do you fall in the early bird – night owl scale?
For my non-morning people, here are more resources on how you don’t have to be a morning person to be a success:
Is waking up at 4am really the secret to being a successful person?
You don’t have to get up at 4 a.m. to be successful: 5 CEOs who wake up after 10 a.m.
17 people who prove you don’t have to be a morning person to be successful
If you’re just not a morning person, science says you may never be
