5 Morning Myths that are Holding You Back from Living Your Best Morning
Based on the people I’ve met and talked to about this, I think it’s safe to say that many of us are more night owls than early birds. I wonder how many people wake up early enough to actually catch that elusive worm?
Before I made the lifestyle change and decided to get up early, I was one of those people who would hit snooze 5 million times and eventually haul my butt out of bed at the last minute and be in a crazy rush all day. I thought that getting up early was pointless and honestly I preferred to get a few more minutes or hours of shut-eye!
And that brings me to the false beliefs we have about rising early… If you can get past these 5 myths about getting up in the morning, you will be opening the door to a path that leads you to living your best life and optimizing your creativity, your passions, and incredible potential.
So here they are:
You have to be a morning person in order to get up early but you just can’t get up
As I mentioned, I have never considered myself to be a morning person, however the few times I was awake before or with the sun, I really enjoyed it. To dispel this myth, ask yourself this question: When I have an important meeting scheduled and have to get to work early or get my kids to school earlier, am I able to wake up and be on time? If you answered yes, why is that?
Your answer is the same reason why you CAN get up early enough to have special morning time and find your own personal routine that makes you feel alive and well. Set that early appointment with yourself or with God. Make it a priority and you will show up, just like you show up for the other people in your life. Because if you do not fill your own cup, how do you expect to give to others? How do you expect to consistently show up with joy for others if you can’t show up for yourself and the things important to you personally?
2. The early bird gets the worm is just a catch phrase used by boomers
Do you know what the morning looks like for Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, Oprah, Tim Cook, Steve Jobs (RIP), Dwayne Johnson, Tony Robbins, Shonda Rhimes, and Jeff Weiner? They are early risers. As early as 4 am even. In the quiet of the morning, before the distractions and hundreds of other tasks begin demanding their attention, they journal, meditate, exercise, eat a healthy breakfast, and more. In the morning, your brain is rested and ready for creativity. You can think clearly. You have time to explore, discover, and learn. There is a clear link between success and waking up early.
3. You have too many important tasks to do during the day and just don’t have time for unnecessary things
Let me ask you another question: how much time do you think you spend on social media per day as a consumer (not a creator). Now multiply that by two and that is probably very close to the reality. The average person spends 3-4 hours a day on social media. It’s usually the first thing we do in the morning. We turn off the alarm, get comfy again, and settle in for a little scroll before we have to actually get up. And when I stopped doing that in the morning I felt more connected, more present, and more aware throughout my day. I felt less stressed and anxious. I felt more motivated to be the best version of myself. It was eye-opening because I thought that 10 minutes on Instagram in the morning wasn’t a big deal.
All that to say this - we make time for what’s important for us or what we feel like doing. And this goes back to point # 1. Our priorities and decisions we make determine our day. So if you consider one of your important tasks and even one of your responsibilities to be taking time for YOU in the morning, then you will show up. You will roll out of bed on time and do that first hard part of not hitting snooze and placing your feet on the floor. So maybe start with sacrificing that morning scrolling time and do something instead that brings you joy and makes you feel alive. Even if it’s just 10 minutes!
4. You think you don’t need help and can get up no problem at anytime in the am
I get it. You have superpowers. You have a strong will. You are determined and when you set your mind to something, you do it. I’m the same way. However, that determination and willpower is not sustainable long term. There is going to be a day or days when your fatigue or certain emotions or a situation out of your control will overpower your willpower. And in those moments, what you really need is help. You need an accountability partner. A coach. A friend who motivates you and reminds you of why you’re doing this. It’s okay to accept help and not be on your A-game every single day. That’s not real life. Real life is change, unforeseen circumstances, new developments, emotions coming and going, motivation fluctuating, needs changing. And that’s normal. So talk to a friend, your spouse, your kids, a life coach - anyone who can help encourage you and hold you accountable in a positive way. Or maybe you need a morning reset button to help you start over and lots of motivation every day to keep you going, helping you create a habit! If that’s the case, click this link to sign up for a whole week of just that! (P.S. It’s 100% free!)
5. You have to wake up at 5 am starting tomorrow
If you’ve ever done a sugar detox, gone on the keto diet, or tried to stop smoking cold turkey, you know that it’s extremely difficult to make abrupt changes. Some people can do it, but it’s a serious challenge. And you can have actual physical withdrawals in these cases! And waking up extremely early in the morning is very similar because of something called your circadian rhythm. It’s what makes you sleepy at a certain time at night and wakes you up naturally in the morning.
So because of your circadian rhythm, going from waking up at 7 am to 5 am is like going from walking a mile every day to hiking le Mont Blanc with no training or adaptation in between! Your body has no clue what’s going on and it can even make you sick if your immune system isn’t doing so well. It’s too much of a shock.
No one is telling you to start getting up at 4 or 5 am tomorrow. But what you CAN do is just start with waking up 5 minutes earlier. We talked about this last week and how it can revolutionize your life experience. As you begin to adjust to the 5 minutes, you can do 10, then 15, and so on until you find yourself jumping out of bed 2 hours before you used to! (For me it took a few months to get to this point!)
Which morning myth do you feel has been broken down for you? Which one are you still struggling with on the inside? Be honest with yourself and go a bit deeper. And remember that you are capable of so much more than you realize.
Time is a gift. Let’s use it for the maximum amount of good!
<3 Caroline
P.S. We are counting down to the Free 7 Day Reset Challenge! Click here for more info & sign up to start the journey to transforming your mornings and your whole life!
