By | John Boitnott | Contributor at Entrepreneur.com and The Motley Fool
Waking up early helps successful entrepreneurs ramp up productivity. Learn how to adjust your schedule so you can get more tasks accomplished each day.
Many people assume that, as members of today’s generations, we are smarter than our ancestors, thanks in part to the technological gadgets and other advances we’ve created in the last few decades. However, our ancestors knew quite a bit about the routines of successful people, as culminated in the old English proverb made famous by Benjamin Franklin: “Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.”
That’s sage advice for today’s entrepreneurs who may be looking for ways to carve out more time in their day. Yet as practical advice, it’s often much easier said than done. After an exhausting day or week, it’s hard to resist the temptation to hit snooze. Sometimes, it feels impossible to get up and get going.
Yet it is possible to change old habits — to wake up early, clock healthy hours of sleep, and get everything on your task list done. Here are some hacks from early risers who have discovered successful strategies to change their sleep schedules and habits.
Focus on the benefits of becoming a morning person
What motivates early risers? Often, it’s the perceived benefits of waking up early. Keeping these advantages top of mind can also get you up early instead of automatically pressing the snooze button.
The biggest benefit is that you’ll have more hours in the day to accomplish important tasks. Moreover, because most people start their day later, those early morning hours typically are free of interruptions. That gives you quiet time for focused or deep work, such as planning and other tasks that require a distraction-free environment. Think about what you can accomplish with that extra time, resulting in greater personal satisfaction and reduced stress levels.
