Make A Change

One of the first lessons I wrote about with my “Lessons From the Apprentice” was titled “Get Out of Bed.” In the first season of “The Apprentice” with Donald Trump, the phone rang and the group learned that they would be leaving Trump Tower at 5:45 a.m. to meet with Donald Trump for the first week’s task. The lesson here is clear. You are not going to work for Donald Trump if you enjoy sleeping in and lounging around.

The most productive people are up early. You do not see many late or over-sleepers accomplishing much. Sure, there are articles out there by sleep analyzers that expound theories regarding sleep needs, but most people have a good concept of how much sleep they need. Many studies suggest that Americans get too little sleep. Don’t worry about the studies, worry about what works for you.
In an article titled “How to Become an Early Riser” by Michael Masterson in the Early to Rise e-newsletter, he states that the benefits of getting up early include:

• You will get more work done.
• You will accomplish more important tasks.
• You will advance your career more quickly.
• You will be more respected at work.
• You will make more money.
• You will have more time to exercise.
• You will be healthier.
• You will be happier.

I agree with Masterson that the benefits are just too great and too numerous to ignore. Many people enjoy sleep and stay in bed as much as they can. These people are not working for Donald Trump, nor are they the movers and shakers of the world. Reduce your sleep and watch your productivity jump. Try reducing your sleep by thirty minutes, or an hour, and see how much more you can accomplish. When I was in the Army, we had to get up early, you didn’t have much choice. Good thing I was actually used to getting up before dawn even before I enlisted.

Personally, I always feel the best when I have gotten up at 5:00 (sometimes even 4:00 or 4:30) and have exercised, planned the day, watched and/or read something motivational, and have worked on one or more of my goals. As a youth, I always enjoyed being the first up when we were camping. By the time everyone else got up I had already taken a walk, gathered more firewood, and had a nice the fire down to nice coals to cook the coffee, hot chocolate, and other breakfast foods. Believe me, everyone else was very grateful that I enjoyed getting up first to do this.

I do not suggest you reduce sleep to where you become less productive. Each person must find the optimal amount for his or her peak performance. If you are already limiting your sleep, maybe cutting back more is not the way to increase productivity. However, there are many people that can reduce their sleep time and notice significant improvements in productivity and no harmful effects on their health.

Most people that have goals and projects to work on that are important to them find they do not have time to stay in bed. Having a defined purpose in life, goals to achieve, and things to do that excite you will make it so you want to jump out of bed early and get started with each new and wonderful day. So get up early and see just how much you can achieve!