There’s something about mornings
Posted: - Modified: | lifeOur cat has a firm idea of what constitutes a perfectly acceptable wake-up time for breakfast: 6:00. I’ve taken to waking up early and making her breakfast, getting ready, and so on.
Today I arrived at work at 7:00. The lights were still dim. I don’t think anyone else was in the IBM office. I got a lot done. I remembered to leave work early, too, and I got a lot done at home as well. I remember blogging about early starts a number of times, and I like it when I can get into the rhythm of it. W- and I will make sure we keep in sync, too.
Preparing a few things the night before makes things so much more convenient. After dinner, I pack my lunch, leave a pot of oatmeal to soak on the stove, and set out all my clothes in the order that I need to put them on. The rest of the time is mine to spend, and then it’s another great morning.
I’m getting the hang of the little things, too. The subway ride is the best time for Japanese flashcard practice, because I’m sitting down. The Pimsleur language lessons are best for dish-washing time, because I need my hands to be free. I’m working my way through French, and I hope I’ll be able to practice understanding conversation when I’m in Montreal.
There’s still a lot of room for improvement. Depending on need, I may make early mornings my personal project time. Right now, I’m relaxed, but not feeling very creatve. There are a number of things I still need to follow up on, including possible tea party plans. (I’m a month late with my tea parties!) But things are good. =)
7 comments
Paul
2008-11-12T19:43:38ZA friend who has an early rising cat keeps a small package of hard cat food in her night stand. That way she doesn't have to get out of bed when the cat insists on breakfast. But if you like getting up at 6, more power to you.
mylene
2008-11-15T10:04:35Zi like this article.. i'm a morning-person wannabe now. =) i always find it so hard to get up early. i wake up early but i don' t get up early. =(
Hannah P
2008-11-19T02:46:14ZHello Sacha!
I really REALLY want to learn how to get up earlier. I've got some kind of internal switch stuck at 7am. But, I want to start doing training in the mornings, which means getting up at 6am.
Have you got any tips on how to reset your body clock to this time? Do you just force on through a week of 6am starts until you get the hang of it?
Also, what about doing exercise early in the morning...have you tried that? If so, when do you eat? Before/after?
Loving your blog, as always,
Your number one Singapore fan!
Sacha Chua
2008-11-21T21:26:57ZStep 1: Get a cat. ;)
Kidding!
I still waver in the mornings, probably because it's gotten Pretty Dark and Cold here in Canada and a warm bed beats getting up. But when I do wake up early, I really enjoy the feeling of getting a lot done in the morning, and it stretches the productive part of my day. So there's really nothing but to put myself to bed earlier (9? 10 at the latest, but I have to exercise some willpower to achieve that), set the alarm earlier, and remind myself that I'm going to feel fantastic once I get past the initial grogginess.
I'm tempted to get one of those sunlight alarm clocks. Does anyone have one of those? Does it really work? I've also thought about waking up to some inspiring music, and I'll look at some iPod clock radios to see if they fit the bill.
I used to do yoga and a bit of stretching at night, and some aerobics in the morning (jumping jacks, etc). Maybe I should go back to that. I'd do that before eating (morning) and late after dinner (or sometimes before).
Good luck and have fun! Looking forward to hearing your insights. =)
Jenny Lisk
2008-11-22T00:22:08ZHi Sacha, how do your tea parties work? Sounds interesting...I might like to try that myself. Always on the lookout for ideas for facilitating connections and social interactions :) We hosted a monthly "Soup Night" in our old neighborhood and it was fantastic for bringing neighbors together.
Jenny
Sacha Chua
2008-11-24T02:36:56ZI like tea parties because they're actually very easy to throw together. Collect an interesting assortment of teas. Tea bags are fine, although if you have plenty of tea balls or things like that, loose-leaf teas are fun too. Pick up a couple of snacks, or encourage people to bring something they love. Invite a number of people you think might get along with each other. Sit back and enjoy the conversation. =) I like bringing together a number of interesting people - I get to see more than what I'd bring out in one-on-one conversations.
I'm going to try out dinner parties next. That way, we have more time to sit around and chat. I kept feeling guilty about shooing my guests out the door near dinner time! =) It'll be a bit of a squeeze around the kitchen table and I may need to get more plates, but we'll manage. I'm planning another one for two weeks from now, and I'm looking forward to it!
Jenny Lisk
2008-11-25T23:21:00ZThanks...I think I'll have to try it after the holidays...sounds like a low-barrier way to entertain and bring people together...