Navigating Life’s Big Decisions

Things are always changing. One minute you think you have it all figured out, and the next, you are struggling to make big decisions that could change the course you are on. For some people, making these big decisions can seem like a breeze. They can take a look at the options and decide without even slowing down. For others, these big decisions can be enough to derail them and may leave them frozen in their tracks. 

 

Everyone needs help when it comes to navigating the big decisions in life. No matter what crossroad you find yourself at right now, there are a few easy things that you can do to make sure that you navigate these big decisions with grace and ease. These include:

 

Be Gentle with Yourself

 

Even if the change you plan to make is a good one, it is still hard to accept and allow change into your life. You like the status quo, the way things have always been, and any kind of change, whether it is good or bad, can be a little scary. As you make some of the adjustments in life and move forward with that change, remember to be gentle with yourself and allow time for you to get used to it. 

 

Know Your Why

 

As you make some big changes in your life, it is a good idea to know your why and remember it. There may come times when you make big decisions when you will need to return to that why remembering why the change or the decision was so important for you in the first place. For many people, this why is going to be like a big compass as they try to navigate the unknown. Remembering the why can help them stay organized and will lead them on the right path as they go. 

 

Keep Your Routines

 

According to the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, a good routine is going to be imperative when you are going through major changes. This routine will help give you something to fall back on, something you can rely on again, ensuring that you won’t feel completely lost or in uncharted territory. 

 

You can choose the type of routine that you would like to do. Maybe you have a special morning routine that includes waking up, doing some exercise, taking a shower, and enjoying a cup of coffee on the porch. You may have the routine in the evening. You can choose how to implement a routine that gives you a sense of security as you try to get a lot done. 

 

Do Journaling

 

Processing your complex emotions in your head can be a challenge. Taking the time to a journal can make a big difference. There is no judgment when you write down your thoughts and emotions and no one else has to see the information. 

 

You can then go back through the pages and see how you are feeling and watch your emotions and thoughts change as the events in your life unfold. And in the end, you may see that the thing that caused you anxiety or made you upset in the past no longer has a firm hold on you. 

 

Final Thoughts

 

Whether you are excited about a change that is coming your way or you feel a lot of apprehensions, just know that others around you are dealing with the same thing. There are a ton of life decisions that you need to think about, but when you have a plan in place and give yourself some grace as you navigate it all, you will find that these life changes no longer have to be as scary and can lead you to something amazing in the end. 

 

5 Ways to Simplify Your Life

Do you dream of simplifying your life? Are you always looking for ways to help you stay on top of work, keep your home organized, and keep up with family and friends? All while juggling bills, eating right, and social media?

 

If you’re nodding in agreement, then know you’re not alone. Luckily, I’ve put together a list of tips and tricks to help you simplify your life and finally manage this balancing act we call life.

 

Let’s get started.

 

1. Set Simple Monthly Goals

 

It’s become a custom to make a list of New Year’s resolutions. Then, a couple of months later, we lose interest and, then, are racked with guilt.

 

So, why not save yourself the hassle and set 1–3 goals each month? Breaking down your goals into smaller, more manageable chunks makes them easier to get through.

 

This way, you can tick them off your to-do list, boost your self-esteem, and don’t have to deal with any guilt.

 

2. Apply the 50/30/20 Budget Rule

 

Managing your finances can be tricky and make you feel stressed, especially when you don’t know what to do and what not to do. Unfortunately, many of us were never taught how to budget our money once we get out into the real world.

 

As I was doing research, I came across the 50/30/20 rule. So, I decided to try it out. After all, it couldn’t be worse than what I was going through.

 

Yet, I’m happy to report that it actually works! This is coming from someone who’s never been good at saving, so for this to work for me means anyone can do it!

 

Here’s what you do: spend 50% of your income on living expenses. Then, 30% of your monthly income should go on lifestyle expenses, and the final 20% should go to your savings.

 

3. Declutter Your Closet

 

You might be surprised at how simple your life becomes once you declutter your closet. So, get real with yourself and start getting rid of clothes that have been around for years and still have the labels attached.

 

Think of it this way: you get to free up some space in your closet for new clothes. Plus, you also get to experience what it feels like to have a well-organized, clutter-free closet.

 

4. Prepare Your Lunch The Night Before

 

Making your lunch the night before may remind you of your school days when your mother used to do the same thing. But it turns out that she was onto something!

 

First of all, preparing your lunch ahead of time means you save money because you buy everything you need for the week at once. Plus, you won’t order out as much, which is also a great money-saver.

 

Not only that, but you’ll also be able to make better, healthier choices. You know that feeling when you’re so hungry that you can’t wait to make something nutritious? That’s when it’s so easy to grab a donut from the fridge or reach for that bag of chips sitting on your kitchen counter.

 

The best part is that you won’t have to stress over what you’ll have for lunch or how it’ll cost you.

 

5. Save Files To The Cloud

 

Are you having a hard time finding files and documents on your computer or smartphone? Why put yourself through the hassle of searching through piles and piles of digital files when you can just save them to the cloud?

 

Thanks to the numerous cloud service applications, you can now upload almost all types of files and save them to the cloud. Then, once they’ve been safely uploaded, you can breathe a sigh of relief. Then, delete them all from your device and save tons of space.

 

The best part is that, now, you can access them from anywhere at any time and from any device. If that’s not simplifying your life, I don’t know what is!

 

5 Steps to More Confident Decision-Making

How do you make a decision? Do you know the steps?

 

If you’re having trouble feeling confident in your actions and wish you had an unwavering self-belief in your decisions, maybe it's time to look at your decision-making process. Decisions made impulsively or without careful thought might not always turn out the way you hope they will.

 

Of course, there's something to be said for instinct and even dumb luck. But what if good decisions were inevitable rather than occasional? Imagine for a moment how it would feel to know you're right before you even act.

 

This is because there are steps you should be going through when making a decision. Let’s take a look at those now.

 

Start With an Open Mind

Do you automatically have all the answers? Probably not. Some of your beliefs might be biased, faulty, or illogical. Accepting you might have things to learn is the first and most crucial step to making decisions. Take a step back from everything but the raw facts regarding what you're trying to decide. 

 

Get the Facts

 

Do you have all the information you need to make an informed decision? Are there things you need to learn? What about examining the options? Have you considered multiple solutions? Take time to put the work in to gather what you need to proceed with confidence.

 

Predict the Future

 

Once you have some choices in mind, try to imagine how they're going to play out. Sometimes what looks good might be a great temporary solution, but you're going to need to do something different in the long run. If you make a certain decision right now, ask yourself if this will still be a good decision in the morning? What about next week? Or next year? 

 

Get Another Opinion

 

Do you have a mentor or someone you can trust whom you could talk to about this? While you might skip this step on the small stuff, it's worth having someone you trust weigh in with their opinion whenever you make a big decision. They might see something you're missing. 

 

Act

 

Sometimes the hardest part of making decisions lies in making the actual decision. It’s tempting to go back over the research a few more times or keep looking for other alternatives. At some point, you’re going to need to act. Take your best solution and move forward with it with confidence. You’ve done all the work. Now comes the part where you put this newfound trust in yourself into action. 

 

The best part? The more you run through this process, the more confident you’ll feel about making decisions in the first place.

 

Decision Making Skills

Are you good at making decisions? The skill is natural for some people while others struggle to make even the most basic decisions. While personality types can play a role in one’s ability to make decisions, it’s also a skill that can be learned.

 

One reason people don’t like to make decisions is they don’t want to be held responsible for the outcomes. This reluctance is a defense mechanism as others may criticize you if you don’t choose wisely. It could erode the confidence others have in you regarding your ability to make decisions. However, you can take steps to reduce it from happening.

 

One of the main factors in decision making is confidence. Therefore, building confidence will help you make decisions. Others will also follow your lead as they will respect your confidence. When you make decisions with confidence, they have no choice but to recognize your authority.

 

Decision making requires finding out the right information. You won’t get far if you start making decisions without information to back them. You need to be informed when making your decisions which means you have a bit of detective work to do. You have to get as many of the facts as you can before making most decisions. 

 

Often, you won’t get all the facts you need for one reason or another. In this case, you will need to take a leap of faith and rely on your confidence when making decisions. That’s an unfortunate part of the process and one that makes people choose wrong directions sometimes. But, as long as you decide using the information you have available, you can defend your choice.

 

As part of the decision-making process, consider coming up with alternatives. List out all possible alternatives based on the current information. You can rate the alternatives on a scale of your choosing. This rating can help you when making the decision. You can choose a star-rating system or a percentage system (0-100), etc.

 

Another technique people like to use is to list out the pros and the cons. To do this, take out a blank piece of paper and write a dividing line in the center. Create the heading “Pros” on the left, and “Cons” on the right. Then, list out the pros and the cons. You can use this to guide you with your decision. Try not to make this process too mechanical as the list may contain several subjective items.

How to Overcome Bad Decisions

There is nobody on earth who can lay claim to never making a bad decision. People make too many decisions for them not to make bad decisions once-in-a-while. Hopefully, those decisions have little impact. However, there will be occasions where you make some that have big consequences.

 

It’s going to happen. You try to do everything in your power to avoid these bad decisions. Perhaps, the information you needed was not available at the time you made the decision. Or, someone gave you the wrong data, whether intentionally or not. It’s possible you made a rash decision without giving much thought to the consequences of the decision. Whatever the case, the result may turn into an unpleasant and stressful situation.

 

You need to face up to the consequences. Take ownership of the decision and don’t pass the blame. It’s possible you will have to deal with someone if they didn’t give you the right information or they deceived you in some manner. Their action may be the cause of the wrong decision, and you have to choose if you should let that person go as a result. However, if you were the one that was responsible for making the final decision, then the consequences of that decision rests with you.

 

Stay confident and don’t panic. Learn about what happened and why. Then, try to find ways to reduce the impact of your decision. If it is a business decision that costs your company some money, make sure you let your management know about it right away. Don’t try to ignore the problem thinking that management may not notice. They will be upset when a mistake costs the company money. But they will be even more upset if you don’t make it known in a timely fashion.

 

Don’t be afraid to talk to someone who may be able to help with the situation. It could be your boss or a mentor. They may be able to shed some insight into the situation. In fact, you could be blowing the situation out of proportion, and they will know how to get you out of it. But, they can only help if you give them timely information about it.

 

If the situation requires presenting your case to higher-level management, try to prepare alternatives on how to reverse the situation or reduce the impact. If these managers see that you have taken control of the situation, they may decide to let you run with the alternatives, although probably with a watchful eye of your manager.

 

What Is A Decision?

Some people contend, that in its simplest form, life is a series of choices. This is, in some sense, true. Except that it's not that simple, because life itself is not that simple. The complexity of life or, rather, living a life, means that the choices the average individual faces over the course of a lifetime are equally complex. These choices range from simple survival decisions (Should I eat that mushroom?), to difficult moral personal choices (Should I speak out against this injustice and incur increased personal risk?) Obviously, the one thing that all these decisions have in common are the option of choosing action and outcome. However, because the nature of these various actions, and their potential outcomes, vary wildly, no one strategy can encompass the process of deciding between them This is where an understanding of what a decision is becomes important.

 

A decision is, of course, the action of deciding something. A person faced with a choice, makes a choice. The most basic example of this is the proverbial fork in the road. When facing a fork in the road, you have the choice of going left or going right. You stop for a period of time while you think, then you decide to go either left or right. Once the decision has been made you take the path you've chosen. 

 

That's straightforward and obvious, right? To some extent, the answer to that question is yes. To a greater extent, however, the answer is no. To become a more efficient and more focused decision maker, you need to understand all the processes that went into making the simple decision above.

 

First, there was a problem. The path you were walking on divided into two. Second, there was the nature of the problem. Because the path divided, you were forced to go either left or right to reach your destination. Third, you needed to choose between these two options in order to continue. Fourth, you utilized your experience, knowledge and intuition to decide which option was best suited to your needs. Fifth, you actually made the decision. Finally, you, once again, began moving forward towards your destination based on that decision.

 

As you can see, the simplest of decisions entails a number of steps. In most cases, we handle these steps subconsciously, without really being aware of what it is we are doing. When the decision we are faced with is simple, this "autopilot" method of choosing isn't a problem. However, when more complex decisions need to be made, not understanding the process can give rise to difficulties.

 

How to Make Daring Career Decisions

People head to work each day and complete the tasks required of them. They do this day in and day out, even though it isn’t rewarding for most. So why do they do it? They like the security of having a steady paycheck.

 

There is more to life than a paycheck and many are starting to realize this. It could be that it’s easier than ever to start a business. Before the internet, the only real choices were a brick-and-mortar type of business. That is still viable for some. But, for others, an online business is the way to go.

 

Still, it can be quite scary to throw your entire career away to start up something new. Just because it’s easy to start a business today, doesn’t mean business is easy. The competition is growing daily. And, the competition is from people all over the world. Giving up the security of that paycheck is not a decision to be made lightly. 

 

One push for people to start something new is they are finding that their jobs are not as secure as they once thought. Layoffs and downsizing happen at regular intervals. Even people who survive the cuts will be expected to work harder and longer hours. Often, their salaries are reduced and bonuses are something for the history books.

 

People get to the point where they don’t feel secure and they resent having to do more work for the same (or even less) pay. This can give them the motivation they need to branch out on their own. The good news is many people can start these businesses on the side and continue to earn paychecks until their new business earns money. When this happens, they take on a new mental outlook of hope knowing that a better life is possible.

 

They also learn they can charge to coach others to do the same. This movement feeds off of itself as more dare to realize their dreams of owning their own business. It can be related to their field or they can branch off into something entirely different. Imagine getting paid for something you love! The possibilities are endless.

 

Don’t quit your job until you know what kind of business you are going to start and come up with a business plan. Also, seek out help from qualified people. You may have to pay some money upfront for their expertise, but it may be well worth the effort later.

How Aspirations Change Over Time

What are your lifelong achievement goals? What did you dream of as a child? Has that changed? Aspirations are those dreams that we conjure up throughout our lives. As children, it may have been a career goal of becoming a fireman, a ballerina, or the President. Then, we age and gain new responsibilities. 

 

Our perspectives change, making new things take on more importance. Aspirations are not a one-and-done kind of dream. They evolve as you grow, and life throws some spitballs your way. Understanding how your long-term plans will change helps you understand that you are not failing if life takes a detour. 

 

The 4 Stages of Aspirations

 

Life seems to run in stages – so do aspirations. Typically, you may find yourself in any one of these stages throughout your life:

 

1. Unadulterated Optimism

 

This stage is more common in our youth when we don’t have the same fears and responsibilities as our older years. This is the stage to identify your weaknesses and build your knowledge and skills. You create a better opportunity for success when you are aware of what you don’t know, and you work to grow in wisdom. Since we don’t know any better, we can dream freely and pursue our dreams.

 

2. Worldly Reality

 

Life does happen, and we get burdened with responsibilities. We start jobs, buy houses, and have families. This is part of life. Your aspirations will seem like they die at this stage, but they don’t. Instead, they are weighed down and go into hiding. You may find that you struggle to find a work-life balance so that you can continue working toward your dreams.

 

3. Renewed Dreaming

 

As time goes by, our responsibilities lighten or shift, and we find ourselves willing to dream again. For some, this may result in a mid-life crisis. It is easy to become distracted. For all of us, it is the time to take a renewed look at our dreams and how we can refocus and refresh our outlook. Often, the result is a firm footing and a renewed perspective on what we want to do with our lives.

 

4. Realignment and New Momentum

 

After renewing our aspirations and shifting as needed, we get the desire to jump in with a sense of purpose. We may feel young again, and others will notice a bounce in our step. Our fears are lessened like in our youth, and the momentum builds to accomplish our hopes and dreams.

 

Aspirations take a lifetime to accomplish, and you will go through many stages. Understanding those stages makes sense of what is happening and adjusting to achieve your dreams.

 

5 Secrets To Self-Motivation

Why is it that motivating others is easy, but we struggle to motivate ourselves? There’s always another task that needs to be done, another deadline that needs to be met.

 

Yet, we need to learn how to take the time to show ourselves that we’re strong and hard-working. One of the secrets of self-motivation is to get our internal gears turning the right way so that we recognize our worth and value.

 

Everyone has goals they’re working towards. Yet, the degree of self-motivation we allow ourselves determines how hard we’re willing to work to achieve the desired result.

 

So, in a nutshell, with self-motivation, anything is possible. But, on the other hand, if it’s lacking in someone’s life, then life goals become of little significance.

 

To always encourage yourself to do better and be better, you need to show yourself kindness and motivation. Without them, you’ll achieve very little in life. To help you get inspired, we rounded up the five secrets to self-motivation.

 

Be Confident

 

“You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” - A. A. Milne

 

Having the confidence to stand up for your beliefs and dreams is one of the most critical aspects of self-motivation. Yet, it can get difficult mustering up confidence when your brain is wired to shy away from a challenge.

 

To rewire your thoughts and build up your confidence, get a pen and paper. First, write down 3–4 of your achievements just to remind yourself of how much potential you have.

Then, make a habit of writing one thing you achieved each day. Little by little, that page will turn into two, then five, then a dozen—all the while creating a momentum that feeds on your self-confidence and assurance.

 

Track Your Progress

 

“Talk to yourself about your successes; be sure you’re recognizing your own accomplishments, no matter how small they may be.” - Rhett Power

 

Now that you’ve started writing down your daily achievements, even if it’s just watering the plants, it’s important to keep track of how far you’ve come.

 

You can use something as simple as a to-do list where you cross each task as you get each one done. Or, if you want to be more general, just cross off the whole day.

 

There are also numerous apps and software tools that help you create a personalized digital task board. This makes it easier to customize goals on a smaller scale, as well as all the way to the more time-consuming monthly and yearly goals.

 

As a result, you hold yourself accountable. Plus, you wake up each day knowing exactly what you’re supposed to do, giving your life purpose and meaning.

 

Maintain A Positive Outlook

 

“There’s a direct correlation between positive energy and positive results.” - Joe Rogan

 

Maintaining a positive mindset can go a long way in boosting your self-motivation. It’s also a great tool to have when things don’t go as planned. That’s when having that positive outlook can help you see things from a different perspective.

 

When your brain expects positive results, your choices will be geared towards the more positive. You’ll also be less likely to blame others for the unexpected things that pop up in your life.

 

To do this, you need to be aware of your negative thought patterns. Then, each time you feel some negative thoughts starting to pop up, replace them with positive ones immediately.

 

Another way to achieve this is by repeating positive affirmations in the morning to boost your motivation and confidence as you start your day.

 

Set Realistic Goals

 

“It must be borne in mind that the tragedy of life doesn’t lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goals to reach.” - Benjamin E. Mays

 

Goals give your life a sense of direction, like a promise you make to yourself, then do your best to keep it.

 

For example, it could be something as simple as cutting back on sugar for a whole week. Or, maybe something a bit more consuming, like working out each day for a month.

 

Whether it’s work, family, or something personal, the best way to set goals is to break them up into measurable tasks. This can be monthly, weekly, daily, or even by the hour—whatever works for you.

 

Another tip is to make the goal just challenging enough to pique your interest. Yet, it shouldn’t be too complex that you give up easily.

 

Surround Yourself With Supportive People

 

“Surround yourself with only people who are going to lift you higher.” - Oprah Winfrey

 

Having positive people who help you achieve your potential is a great way to increase your self-esteem. In return, this gives your internal motivation a nice boost.

 

They’re also great for holding you accountable. They keep you pushing forward even when you don’t feel like getting out of bed.

 

The best thing is that it works both ways, which only works to strengthen your relationship. Plus, no one wants to let down that person who’s always there for them through the good days and the bad.

 

Keep Your Mind Sharp as You Age

As you age, you may start to feel like your brain is aging right along with your body. This is especially true if you find yourself constantly forgetting things. There are several ways you can keep your mind sharp as you age, so keep reading to find out how to keep your brain sharp for years to come. 

 

Don’t Stop Learning

 

A big mistake that people make as they start to age is that they think they don't have to learn anymore. This is never the case. Learning helps to keep the brain fresh, young and building new pathways. If you want to keep your mind sharp, you should try to learn something new every day. The best and easiest way to do this is by downloading a word of the day or language learning app you actively engage with every morning. 

 

Play Brain Teasers

 

You've probably seen a commercial or two about how brain teasers can help keep your mind from aging, and the people who created these games might just know what they are talking about. According to Psychology Today, working your mind every day helps keep it active and keep yourself from forgetting things. So take the time to find a brain teaser game that you enjoy, and aim to spend an hour on it every day. You may just be surprised at the results. 

 

Don't Be Afraid To Use Organization Tools

 

A Harvard Health article points out that people grow more forgetful as they age but refuse to use the tools provided to keep them organized. You probably have a more complex life with more people in it now than you had a decade ago. It's only reasonable that there's no shame in using a planner (or app) to keep track of all the birthdays and important days you need to remember. Take the time to get organized around your house as well. This way, you will waste less time worrying about things that ultimately don't matter (like where your keys are.) This organization allows you to direct your brain power where it counts!

 

If you want to keep your mind sharp as you age, then make it a point never to stop learning. You could also consider working brain teasers into your everyday life. And if you need to use some tools along the way, don't be ashamed. That's what they are there for—to help keep your mind working at its best!

 

How Learning New Things Helps Our Brain

Learning something new isn't easy and facing challenges regularly can really take a lot of your energy. However, learning new things is good because it benefits your brain. Keep reading to learn more about how learning new things help your brain. 

 

Learning Programs the Brain

 

First and foremost, according to Psychology Today, learning is actually the way that your brain gets its programming. Think of it this way, when your computer needs an update, you download new software. This download is the same as learning something new. When you learn new things, your brain updates itself, clears out bugs and becomes better than before. So why wouldn't you want a brain running on the latest program? 

 

Keeps Dementia Away

 

Another major thing that learning accomplishes is it keeps your brain running in tip-top shape. When your brain is in tip-top shape, this means, according to Healthline, that you are less likely to suffer from conditions like Alzheimer's and dementia. Like any muscle in your body, the brain needs to be worked out regularly, and if it isn't worked out, it will begin to atrophy. Don't let your brain atrophy, and commit to learning new things every day!

 

You’ll Be Able to Adjust to Change Better

 

Change is a hard part of life, but it is something that everyone must learn to deal with at some point or another. The more you learn new things, the easier it will be to accept change. This is because learning helps you become familiar with unfamiliar subjects and get used to stepping outside of your comfort zone. If you are one of those people who struggle with change, you should probably start by learning something new!

 

You’ll Learn Faster

 

The coolest thing about your brain is that the more frequently you learn new things, the fasted your brain begins to learn! This means that learning new things in your free time can help other aspects of your life. Say you take a pottery class on the weekends; chances are, it will become easier to learn new things you need to do your job. Who doesn't want to learn faster than they did before?

 

Overall, learning new things can be a challenge, but it is a necessary part of life. Learning new things helps program your brain and keeps dementia away as you age. It makes it easier for you to accept change, and you'll begin to learn even faster, which will benefit all aspects of your life. So embrace new things and start making it your goal to learn something every day!

 

Lifelong Learning Can Help Keep You Sharp

As you age, it's time to start thinking about how you can keep your brain sharp. One of the best ways you can keep your mind fresh is by committing to lifelong learning. 

 

You’ll Enhance Your Brain

 

Just like any other muscle in your body, your brain is a muscle that needs frequent use to stay sharp. You can do this with lifelong learning, which means you aim to learn something new each day. One of the best ways to do this is enrolling in a class you've always wanted to take or studying a new language and practicing each day.

 

You Won’t Be Bored

 

One of the main reasons your brain loses its sharpness is boredom. When you walk a path of lifelong learning, this fights boredom and keeps your mind sharp. And the best part is, you won't have to deal with feelings of boredom which could lead to other emotional issues down the line!

 

You Will Sleep Better

 

When you spend too much of your life inactive and bored, this can lead to issues sleeping. Instead, when you aim to maintain lifelong learning, this will help your mind to stay engaged during the day, then better disengage at night, which means you will sleep better as a result. And who doesn’t want to sleep better at night?

 

You Will Connect Better With Others

 

A major factor in aging is the importance of maintaining your social circle, as this can help keep you happy and healthy. This can be hard to do if you don't have common interests or things to discuss. Lifelong learning can help with this as it can help you connect with new people who share your interests and maintain old friendships you may have already created. Learning helps expand your mind to connect with others better, and it gives you more to talk about to keep them around!

 

Overall, no matter how you look at it, lifelong learning is an important part of keeping your mind sharp. This is because lifelong learning enhances your brain, keeps you from boredom, and helps you sleep better. Not only that, but it will help you to connect better with others, making it a winning situation for everyone involved. Therefore, it's time to take the leap and make lifelong learning part of your routine today!

 

Becoming A Morning Person (Infographic)

 

Top Tips For Becoming An Early Riser

When it comes to time management, we often say that we all have the same amount of time each day; it comes down to how we use it. While those are wise words, could there still be a way to get an edge? Becoming an early riser is one way we can gain an edge. We can't just create more time but getting up earlier can make it feel like we have. Those quiet mornings where you are alone with yourself, and your thoughts can be some of the most productive minutes of your day. If you struggle with getting up in the morning, consider these nine ways you can become an early riser.

 

1. Start the Night Before

 

The more you prepare the night before, the less stress you will have when you wake up. Think about what will make the morning less hectic. Would packing your lunch ease some of the morning chaos? Maybe placing your briefcase, purse, or other bags on a launch pad near the door helps.

 

2. Get to Bed Earlier

 

Rising earlier doesn’t mean you can go to bed at your usual time and get up rested. Your body still needs the same hours of sleep, so plan on shifting your bedtime to accommodate your new rise time. If you need seven hours of sleep and want to get up by 5 AM, you should aim to be in bed by 10 PM.

 

3. Develop a Bedtime Routine

 

Parents understand the benefits of holding to a bedtime routine for their kids. Why not think about what you do each evening before you go to bed that helps relax you. Maybe you enjoy a warm bath or reading in bed to help you wind down. Train your body that these activities mean bedtime is on the horizon.

 

4. Avoid Screen Time Before Bed

 

The backlighting of phones, computers, and televisions keeps your brain busy even if you scroll through social media to relax. Instead, give yourself a media curfew to let your mind and brain wind down before bed. 

 

5. Ease into the New Alarm Time

 

Setting your alarm two hours before your usual time to get up may put your body into shock. You may also find that you don’t make it two days before you are back into old patterns. It benefits many to slowly turn the alarm back by 15-20 minutes each day until they get to their ideal wake-up time. 

 

6. Place the Alarm Across the Room

 

It is much easier to hit the snooze button if your alarm clock is next to your head. By putting it across the room, you force your body to get up and get moving, and you stand a better chance of staying up. 

 

7. Get Out of Bed Right Away

 

It is easy to rationalize sneaking in just five more minutes. Soon, five minutes turns to ten minutes, and you are now oversleeping. Immediately getting out of bed sends signals to your body that sleep is over and it’s time to start a new day. 

 

8. Establish a Morning Routine

 

Whatever you decide to do, you train your brain and body what is supposed to happen after jumping out of bed. You may include meditation, prayer, exercise, showering, and eating breakfast. You may find that your body does this routine out of muscle memory eventually.

 

9. Stick to the Plan Even on Weekends

 

For the best benefits, try to go to bed and get up at the same times seven days a week. You don’t have to jump into the same activities as on weekdays, but you can develop the early riser habit faster if you stick to it seven days a week. So, go ahead and enjoy a second cup of coffee while listening to morning jazz.