One of the most valuable pieces of advice I’ve received from millionaires is even if I don’t feel like it, get up anyway. Here’s why.
5 Seconds
Mel Robbins went from listless, heavy drinker to successful millionaire and motivation guru, and it all started with a few numbers.
At one point she realized that when the alarm went off she could hit snooze over and over or she could simply start her day. For some reason one morning when her alarm went off, almost without thinking, she started counting down from 5.
5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
Before she knew it she was out of bed. She didn’t want to be, but she found a way to get up anyway.
She continued to employ what she calls the 5 Second Rule and turned her life around. Whenever she came across something she didn’t want to do, she simply counted down from five. When she arrived at 1 she was doing whatever she had been avoiding. The countdown shut off her ability to say “no” and by the time the task was started, there was no real reason to turn back.
Get Up Anyway
The problem in the mornings is that we can’t trust our feelings. I remember one day I woke up in a cold sweat from a bad dream. As I started my morning workout, I still hadn’t shaken the things in my dream, and I kept ridiculously looking over my shoulder and peering out the window. Although I was awake, I wasn’t alert.
Our brains aren’t good at making decisions when they’re half asleep. They are easily persuaded by the call of the bed. That’s why when the alarm goes off, even though we don’t want to, we need to get up anyway. Even when we’re still tired, we need to get up anyway. After all, it seems no matter how much sleep we get, we’ll still want more. So, no mater how difficult it may be, we need to get up anyway.
Here are three simple steps to make it easy:
- Snoozeless: Disable your snooze. When the alarm goes off, get up. Research suggests it has the opposite effect anyway because of the small amount of time and the interrupted sleep cycle.
- 5 Seconds: Follow Mel’s advice and apply the 5 second rule. By the time you hit one, your feet must be on the floor.
- Exercise: We are all groggy in the morning. My first few minutes of the day I wonder why I’m getting up so early. Getting from &#$^% to “Good Morning!” is much easer with the endorphins from exercise. Even if it’s just running in place for a minute, it will get your blood pumping and put you in a good frame of mind.
There are a so many ways you can be making your day and your future brighter. Think of all the amazing things you can do with all the time you recover from getting up on time. Then go to bed tonight with this three step plan in your mind. Then tomorrow when the alarm goes off, even if you don’t want to, get up anyway.
