Daily Habits that help you live an intentional life

[MindfulMoney]

I have recently felt like I was running so much (rate race) that I couldn't stop for a breath. Wake up at 5 am go to work, leave at 4 pm, pick my daughter, get home at 5-5:30 pm, spend the evening cooking dinner, entertain her, get her ready for bed and then its 9 pm and time to sleep an do it all again. EVERY DAY, 5 DAYS A WEEK. That's 12 hours just committed to waking up going to work and coming home. It was exhausting and stressful.

Recently, somehow (maybe through some recognition and intention) I have been able to come to the surface of that and don't feel like there is no oxygen in the room anymore. I recently read an article about how "successful" people wake up early (like 3-4 hours before work) to read, exercise and whatever they want before they "start" their day. I have tried this before but have been unsuccessful until now - thinking I simply wasn't a "morning person". Recently, I have been just going to bed with my daughter at 8pm and able to easily wake at 4-4:30 AM. This gives me time to watch some news, clean a little, have my morning coffee, read this blog, take care of little things like change of address etc. I feel much less stressed and I hope this new habit sticks. I intend to add some stretching and exercises and/or studying.

My question is what daily habits do you to help you manage your day to day grind?

[lizzzi]

I go to bed early enough that I can wake up with the dawn. I read/sing Lauds--partly on line, partly with a psalter--, then write what I call my "Morning page" in my journal. This is just a page in a lined school notebook--I don't keep them when filled up--just put down feelings, emotions, how I slept, what I dreamed about...it just gets the "junk"  and self-talk out of my head and seems to center and calm me for the day. Then I read my Bible--I'm trying to read the entire Bible for the first time ever. I have an ESV journaling Bible that has a reading schedule in the back, so every day there's a bit of the Old Testament, a Psalm, and a bit of the New Testament. Then, if the dog still isn't awake and wanting to go outside, I'll take a look at the weather and the headlines on line. And then the day begins...

[big_slacker]

I'm usually up at 4:30-5:30am. I get up and hydrate first (BCAA + 50mg caffeine) and then do some meditation. I like to open up the back door and check the weather. Stand there for a few minutes and listen to rain, or wind, or birds waking up depending on the season. Those quiet moments make all the difference.

[PeaceMeal]

I wake up at 5am and do the following routine, after hydrating:

1. Angamardana yoga for my joints and tendons
2. Meditate for 10 Minutes
3. Free write for 10 minutes (morning pages a la Julia Cameron)
4. Read goals/daily to do's and affirmations
5. Visualization

Then make breakfast, cool shower and off to work.

[lizzzi]

Forgot to say in my post up above that I also have my one daily cup of coffee during my early morning routine.

[DirtDiva]

Thanks for sharing your morning routines-- I'm working on creating a more intentional life.

Right now, my routine is to wake up at 6, make coffee, feed the dogs and let them out, drink coffee and surf the web.

I've been meditating at bedtime; changing to morning as of right now.
I plan to add a few minutes of daily yoga in February.

[Rubic]

Each night I lay out my clothes and other stuff I'll need for the
following day (e.g. prepared meals, reading material, etc.).

I'm up at 4:30 and at the gym shortly after it opens: 5:00 am.
Workout, shower, and then head to the office.  This routine
only changes when I travel out of town.

Book recommendation: https://www.amazon.com/Power-Habit-What-Life-Business/dp/081298160X/

Once you've set up your routine, it's easier to stay committed to it.

[soccerluvof4]

For the last 3 years +/- I would wake up at 3:30 to  4am so I could walk 8-9 miles , do some reading and be done in time to see my kids off. Now I am working on sleeping a little later since fire'd seeing them off then going to workout. It takes time for your body to adjust but once you get it going its so peaceful in the mornings.

[BTDretire]

I'm usually up at 4:30-5:30am. I get up and hydrate first (BCAA + 50mg caffeine) and then do some meditation. I like to open up the back door and check the weather. Stand there for a few minutes and listen to rain, or wind, or birds waking up depending on the season. Those quiet moments make all the difference.

The BCAA, is that for muscle building, or another purpose?

[Jenny Wren]

Great thread!

My morning routine tends to change every three months due to my class schedule. This quarter I have an 8 am lab, so it goes like this:
5:00 wake up
20 minutes of yoga
Breakfast and coffee
Work for one hour before heading to class

I'm excited for a late start coming up in spring quarter, though. I plan to continue the 5 am wakeup, and then foster the following routine:
Increase the yoga routine to 45 minutes and incorporate some breath exercises.
A leisurely breakfast and coffee, followed by an hour of work
Leave for campus early and do a 30 to 45 minute walk along the river trail before my botany lab.

Summer is hard for me when it comes to morning habits. It may still be light at 11 pm and the sky gets light again at 4 am. I'm very much tied into the circadian rhythm of the sun, so this really throws me off and I end up with not enough rest because i don't want to miss sunset or sunrise. Anyone else have this issue?

[OurTown]

I like this thread.  Some days I do better than others.  On a good day, I will get up at 5:00 pm for a little mindfulness meditation.  I have a better sense of well-being throughout the day if I will just commit to 20 minutes first thing in the morning.  Why don't I do this every day?  Good question.

[honeybbq]

I'll take a slightly different spin.

I stopped watching and reading the news for the most part. I still read local and state news, but I can't handle federal news. It's too upsetting and disruptive. I would find myself thinking about it, feelings of despair regarding the future, etc.

I exercise almost every evening after my kiddo is in bed and before I get to 'flop' on the couch and watch TV.  At work at lunch I try to either go for a run or a walk so I'm up and about for a bit.

Taking time for yourself to recharge and recoup however that is - is important.

[GuitarStv]

I make it a point to get enough sleep.  That means that I wake up slightly before my alarm clock normally.  Depending on how much exercise I'm getting, this could mean that I sleep for 8 - 9.5 hours . . . but it radically changes my mood, available patience, and creativity for the better every day.

[FireHiker]

It's really interesting to me how most of you do super early mornings. I like the idea of it, but it is torturous to me to get up in the morning. Is it really possible to be converted to a "morning" person? For anyone who is more naturally a night person, can you describe how you managed to overcome it?

I HATE mornings. I feel inherently most awake/alive in the evening and at night. I do get up consistently by 7am (sometimes 6:30) and to work by 8am (living right by work is a huge quality of life thing for me). I am always, always groggy in the morning and hate getting up, even if it's not a work day and we have plans to do something I really want to do.

I try to maintain good habits: I don't drink coffee all throughout the day, just one cup in the morning and maybe an iced coffee (made at home, pretty weak) or cup of tea (at work) with lunch, but not every day. I try to get regular exercise (at lunch a couple times a week or right after work). if I have alcohol it is rarely more than one drink and not every day, maybe 3 or 4 days one week and then nothing for 3-4 weeks, so probably an average of 1-2 drinks per week total. I don't stay up late; I'm generally in bed between 9-10 (even though I would really prefer to stay up), but I just can't shut my brain off and have terrible insomnia. I don't watch TV in the evening, or ever, really. After the kids are in bed I either cross stitch or read, both of which are calming to me. No TV in the bedroom, I keep the room dark and quiet. I practice yoga regularly. I still can't freaking get up in the morning. I'm open to any advice!

[lizzzi]

It's very important to have a connection with nature. My morning routine is done with the blinds to the sliding glass doors open...so I am looking out onto a grassy, wooded hillside as the sky gradually lightens above it. Of course at this time of year the doors are closed, but as soon as it gets warm enough, I'll at least crack the doors in the mornings--to get the fresh air, hear the birdsong,  and get the "feel" of the outside. I have to put my dog on a leash and actually walk him, so that gets me out in the weather (no matter what) and closer to nature, too.

Totally agree with the poster who cuts down on exposure to the news media. Tune it all out--or most of it. Give it just enough attention so you can be informed about the major stories or what is important to you,  and then ...full stop.

Also agree with the post about getting enough good-quality sleep. Figure out how much you need, and then do what it takes to get it. (Of course there are situations that will preclude this--a new baby, etc.--but do your best.) It will keep you calmer, more focused, more creative, more likely to do the things you really want to do--being adequately rested is a powerful thing.

I am not particularly a morning person or a natural early riser, although years of rotating shift work made me very versatile in terms of functioning at all different times of the day or night. I try to be up around dawn, just to be part of the natural world and in tune with it.  I make a cup of coffee (my only one for the day)  immediately, and that helps me sharpen up.

[Jenny Wren]

It's really interesting to me how most of you do super early mornings. I like the idea of it, but it is torturous to me to get up in the morning. Is it really possible to be converted to a "morning" person? For anyone who is more naturally a night person, can you describe how you managed to overcome it?

I was a night owl throughout most of twenties. I even worked nights for a chunk of that time. What made my rhythm shift was sun exposure.

I noticed when I first got back from a camping or backpacking trip that the first few days afterward I tended to wake with or shortly after the sunrise. Being outside and experiencing the natural day/night cycles would reset my circadian rhythm after a few days.

When life required I switch to being a morning person I took this lesson and made a point of exposing myself to sunlight for as long as possible each day. Much easier to do in warm weather when you aren't stuck in an office all day. The dark level near my home isn't great, but isn't awful, so I also left the blinds on the east bedroom window open slightly so I would get hit by the rising sunlight. There are special lamps designed to mimic this as well.

It was tough at first, but I eventually succeeded to switch over. The hardest part is actually adjusting bedtime, not wake up time -- which I think is more psychological than physical (if I go to sleep early, I'm going to miss something/sleep my life away/be boring/etc). After a few days of exhaustion, my body adapted to going to sleep earlier, and waking up early was the natural result.

[GuitarStv]

I prefer to be awake at nights, but have to get up early for work.  The key is consistency.  Never, ever sleep in.  Eventually your natural rhythm resets.  Given no need to get up early, I suspect that I would quickly revert to never getting out of bed before noon though.  :P

[TheCatWhisperer]

Things I am trying to do in 2018 to help with the same problem include:
1. Waking up 45 minutes earlier so I can sit down for breakfast, read the newspaper, and meditate for 10 minutes.
2. Doing better with meal prep, using the Instapot, etc, so I don't feel like I'm constantly at the supermarket or in the kitchen
3. Trying to just pay attention during the day and not let autopilot mode take over. Easier said than done.

[deek]

This is good timing. For the first time in basically ever, I forced myself up at 5:30 for two days in a row and it was surprisingly easy on 6.5-7 hours of sleep. This happened earlier this week and it really made a difference not being rushed in the morning.

This would give me more time to accomplish other goals - like blogging, making a full breakfast, doing laundry, etc - if I can make this a regular thing. I intend to.

One thing I was able to do the other morning was research more about my county's conservation department which prompted me to apply for volunteer positions (photography, fishing activities, field and trail work, seed collection, environmental restoration, and water quality monitoring). I'm glad I work at a place that's flexible and appreciates employees being part of the local community. This should allow me to get off work early some days and do something that actually makes a difference.

[GuitarStv]

read the newspaper

They still make newspapers in 2008???

[big_slacker]

I'm usually up at 4:30-5:30am. I get up and hydrate first (BCAA + 50mg caffeine) and then do some meditation. I like to open up the back door and check the weather. Stand there for a few minutes and listen to rain, or wind, or birds waking up depending on the season. Those quiet moments make all the difference.

The BCAA, is that for muscle building, or another purpose?

I generally eat my last meal in the evening (6pm or so) and don't eat breakfast till later in the morning like 8 or 9. Often I'll do a morning workout or bike to work so the BCAAs are cheap insurance against protein/muscle catabolism. There seems to be some debate on this but it works for me. I don't like coffee but I do really look forward to 22 oz of  a cold drink that tastes like grape kool-aide with a small dose of caffeine in it. :D

[RyanAtTanagra]

It's really interesting to me how most of you do super early mornings. I like the idea of it, but it is torturous to me to get up in the morning. Is it really possible to be converted to a "morning" person? For anyone who is more naturally a night person, can you describe how you managed to overcome it?

I'm the same way, I sleep until the last possible minute then begrudgingly and painfully get out of bed.  Even if I have had plenty of sleep, I can't just wake up and get out of bed.  On weekends if I have nothing to wake up to, my most comfortable way to wake/get up is to lay in bed dozing off and on until I'm effectively completely awake and theres no reason to still be laying in bed.  This could be a couple hours past the point of where I've had plenty of sleep and should probably just get up.

It's never easy, but the biggest thing I've found to make it better is this:

The key is consistency.  Never, ever sleep in.  Eventually your natural rhythm resets.

You have to be diligent on the weekends and get up close to your weekday times.  It sucks for the first weekend or two, but after that your body does start to adjust.  For those of us that suck at mornings, doing 5 days early then 2 days sleeping in, even by only an extra hour, doesn't let our body get into a rhythm.

[TheCatWhisperer]

read the newspaper

They still make newspapers in 2008???

Digital version LOL

[GuitarStv]

read the newspaper

They still make newspapers in 2008???

Digital version LOL

I also just realized that it's 2018, not 2008.  Ugh.

The key is consistency.  Never, ever sleep in.  Eventually your natural rhythm resets.

You have to be diligent on the weekends and get up close to your weekday times.  It sucks for the first weekend or two, but after that your body does start to adjust.  For those of us that suck at mornings, doing 5 days early then 2 days sleeping in, even by only an extra hour, doesn't let our body get into a rhythm.

Personally, I found that cycling in the hottest months of the summer was a boon for the weekend sleep-in temptation.  You get up at 5:00, eat a big breakfast and get on the bike at 5:30 while it's cool and quiet . . . then by 10:00 or 11:00 as the day is starting to get unbearably warm and the roads are busy you head home and enjoy a ridiculously large lunch with a cold beer while sitting under some shade on your back patio and reading a good book.  You feel unbelievably awesome until you collapse exhaused into bed at 9 or so in the evening.

[mm1970]

Sleep and exercise and crocheting.

2 days a week, set alarm for 4:40 to 5 am.  One day track workout with a group, other day swim at the pool.

Other 3 days a week.  Sleep.  No alarm.  Wake up between 6:30 and 7:15.  Yes, today, it was 7:15 and barely out the door in time to get kid to school.
I need both.

Sometimes I walk on lunch break, have been bad about that.

Before bed, 10-20 minutes of crocheting while watching a show (mine or the kids!)

Read 10 minutes before bed.  Lights out 9 or 9:30.  Last night was later because my book is getting good!

[TheCatWhisperer]

read the newspaper

They still make newspapers in 2008???

Wow I didn't catch that either :/

[markbike528CBX]

As I and DW have been getting older, we've had poor sleep habits.   I think I might try the early waking, since I'm often up at 0400 or so anyway.

[kimmarg]

This seems to have turned into a "things to do in the morning" thread but I'd like to offer some perspective on the original post of an 'intentional life'. I think the name of the post says it all - be intentional.

As a rotating shift worker I get up and sleep at all kinds of messed up times of day. What has helped me the most is a) recognizing what I need to be happy and b) prioritizing it.  For me the most important things seem to be sleep, a bit of time to myself, enough light and exercise in approximately that order.

So currently I'm on nights so I got up about 3pm. Sat in the sunshine for 15min with my cup of coffee and enjoyed my quiet empty house. Then did a quick 1 mile walk before heading out to pick up the toddler from daycare. From trial and error I've found that the 1 mile walk makes a HUGE difference in how I feel. Some sun and a stretch really helps me through my day.   So I don't feel it's so much about getting up 'early' as it is recognizing what you need to prioritize and doing that, no matter what time of day that is. When I'm on second shift I do the same coffee and walk routine but I fit it in around 11am, after kid is at daycare and before I dash off to work. For me it's not the actual time of day that matters so much as getting it in. So for night owls I'd say if night time is when you've got the time, use it.

[Lmoot]

I have a humongous calendar/whiteboard on my wall. It thinks for me. I consult it every day. As I think of something, it goes up on the board, so that later I don’t have to summon the energy to think of it. Then when I wake up in the morning, I just look at the whiteboard, and “do.” It allows me to write down and organize my thoughts and priorities. Before the whiteboard, I would spend half the day making a to do list that would never get done because I wasted so much time.

I don’t allow myself to do anything until I have completed everything planned for that day. It keeps me from procrastinating and filling up my time with unintended activities. Of course it still happens from time to time, but I’ve gotten much better.

[Freedomin5]

I pray in the mornings rather than at night before bed. It helps to set my mood and attitude for the day’s tasks.

I don’t take work home with me. If I have work to do, I go out to a coffee shop. Home is sacred and is for rest and family.

I only answer work related emails during work hours. I don’t take phone calls after 9 pm, unless I know the caller. Actually, I don’t usually take calls unless I know the caller. I figure people will leave a message if it’s important.

I don’t work on Sundays.

I don’t read the news. I find that knowing the news does not generally make me happier or contribute to my daily well-being in any way.

I’ve turned off notifications for most apps on my phone, with the exception of phone calls and text messages.

[EmFrugal]

I like to think about the things that I value most in life. Then I build my days around those things as much as possible. This way I'm getting a nice balance between obligatory commitments and things that increase my personal fulfillment.

For me, my values list looks like this:
I value...
-Learning
-Spending quality time just talking and being with my DH (no distractions)
-Getting on the floor and playing with my kids and really being present with them
-Movement and Exercise (Can be walking, weight training, yoga flow, anything that I enjoy that gets my body moving and strong)
-Financial Independence
-Being in Nature
-Building small businesses
-Meditation
-Journaling

Your list would obviously look very different from mine, but the key for me is to make sure I am incorporating some of these things into my life on a very regular basis. I can't do them all daily, but I can make sure they are happening consistently.

For me personally, meditation has been a life altering  experience. It has helped me stay present, remember that every situation and experience is impermanent, and significantly reduce stress levels. I consider it the foundation of a well-balanced life.

[Cranky]

I’m a morning person by nature, but I think it’s perfectly possible to be “intentional” as a night but person. If that’s a huge thing energy period for you, then use that time - don’t waste it on tv or internet.

Also, think about what you value. Spending time with your family - reframe that as a priority, not “entertain my child” which sounds like a chore.

[AnnaGrowsAMustache]

It's really interesting to me how most of you do super early mornings. I like the idea of it, but it is torturous to me to get up in the morning. Is it really possible to be converted to a "morning" person? For anyone who is more naturally a night person, can you describe how you managed to overcome it?

I HATE mornings. I feel inherently most awake/alive in the evening and at night. I do get up consistently by 7am (sometimes 6:30) and to work by 8am (living right by work is a huge quality of life thing for me). I am always, always groggy in the morning and hate getting up, even if it's not a work day and we have plans to do something I really want to do.

I try to maintain good habits: I don't drink coffee all throughout the day, just one cup in the morning and maybe an iced coffee (made at home, pretty weak) or cup of tea (at work) with lunch, but not every day. I try to get regular exercise (at lunch a couple times a week or right after work). if I have alcohol it is rarely more than one drink and not every day, maybe 3 or 4 days one week and then nothing for 3-4 weeks, so probably an average of 1-2 drinks per week total. I don't stay up late; I'm generally in bed between 9-10 (even though I would really prefer to stay up), but I just can't shut my brain off and have terrible insomnia. I don't watch TV in the evening, or ever, really. After the kids are in bed I either cross stitch or read, both of which are calming to me. No TV in the bedroom, I keep the room dark and quiet. I practice yoga regularly. I still can't freaking get up in the morning. I'm open to any advice!

It's not possible to 'become' a morning person. That crap is written by morning people. Imagine how they would do trying to 'become' night people! The fact is that it makes sense that the entire tribe was not asleep all night, in case there was danger. It's just out bad luck that morning people have taken over the world, but even they would be screwed with out the night shift - bakers, cooks, security guards, police, doctors, retailers, every cleaner on the planet etc etc. Screw the bloody morning people that think the work day is over at 5pm!

[Lmoot]

I find that I get more done in the morning. It’s exciting, it’s a new day, and the more I do before the sun comes up, the less I have to do later.

I am a procrastinator, so another thing that helps me stay on track in regards to running errands, is a rule I created for myself: I have to get to a store/ location, or make phone calls RIGHT WHEN THE BUSINESS OPENS. If I have multiple stops I plan my route based on opening hours. For example, If I have to go to Home Depot, the grocery store, and the post office, I’ll hit up HD (6am), store (7am), P.O. (8:30 am). Not only does it get me out of the house earlier, but it motivates me to take care of business efficiently so that I can make my next “appointment” on time. And it’s just an added bonus that there are no crowds or traffic to deal with, which makes things go by even faster.

The caviat to me being a morning person, is that I must have naps. 1 big one. If I can choose the time, preferably between around 10am-12. By then the errands are done, the animals are taken care of, and I’ve had breakfas. There’s nothing more relaxing to me than luxuriating in my bed right when the town starts hustling and bustling, and the sun hits the top of the sky (btw I am in FL, so getting stuff done before the sun comes out is a happy bonus). Sometimes I’ll have a nap outside in the shade. Napping during the day means I only need 5-6 hours sleep at night (which means I get to wake up early again yay!).

[MindfulMoney]

I really like this board idea. Sounds like a great way to stay on track, frame your state of mind and not let things get forgotten.

I have a humongous calendar/whiteboard on my wall. It thinks for me. I consult it every day. As I think of something, it goes up on the board, so that later I don’t have to summon the energy to think of it. Then when I wake up in the morning, I just look at the whiteboard, and “do.” It allows me to write down and organize my thoughts and priorities. Before the whiteboard, I would spend half the day making a to do list that would never get done because I wasted so much time.

I don’t allow myself to do anything until I have completed everything planned for that day. It keeps me from procrastinating and filling up my time with unintended activities. Of course it still happens from time to time, but I’ve gotten much better.

[wenchsenior]

It's really interesting to me how most of you do super early mornings. I like the idea of it, but it is torturous to me to get up in the morning. Is it really possible to be converted to a "morning" person? For anyone who is more naturally a night person, can you describe how you managed to overcome it?

I HATE mornings. I feel inherently most awake/alive in the evening and at night. I do get up consistently by 7am (sometimes 6:30) and to work by 8am (living right by work is a huge quality of life thing for me). I am always, always groggy in the morning and hate getting up, even if it's not a work day and we have plans to do something I really want to do.

I try to maintain good habits: I don't drink coffee all throughout the day, just one cup in the morning and maybe an iced coffee (made at home, pretty weak) or cup of tea (at work) with lunch, but not every day. I try to get regular exercise (at lunch a couple times a week or right after work). if I have alcohol it is rarely more than one drink and not every day, maybe 3 or 4 days one week and then nothing for 3-4 weeks, so probably an average of 1-2 drinks per week total. I don't stay up late; I'm generally in bed between 9-10 (even though I would really prefer to stay up), but I just can't shut my brain off and have terrible insomnia. I don't watch TV in the evening, or ever, really. After the kids are in bed I either cross stitch or read, both of which are calming to me. No TV in the bedroom, I keep the room dark and quiet. I practice yoga regularly. I still can't freaking get up in the morning. I'm open to any advice!

It's not possible to 'become' a morning person. That crap is written by morning people. Imagine how they would do trying to 'become' night people! The fact is that it makes sense that the entire tribe was not asleep all night, in case there was danger. It's just out bad luck that morning people have taken over the world, but even they would be screwed with out the night shift - bakers, cooks, security guards, police, doctors, retailers, every cleaner on the planet etc etc. Screw the bloody morning people that think the work day is over at 5pm!

Heh.  Generally I think this is true. 

However,  it depends on whether you define morning person as someone who can get up and start functioning well in a physical way in the morning, or someone who is mentally at their best in the morning.  I'm not really a morning person, but I have worked several jobs where getting up as early as 3:30 a.m. was required, with work starting around 4:45 or 5:00. 

My observation is that I can train my body to function quite well at physical tasks that early, but mentally my brain can handle only fairly rote stuff.  By far the best thing for me to do when I must function in the morning, is to start vigorous movement outdoors in natural light, ASAP.  For example, when I worked as a baker, I struggled more because my work environment required minimal physical effort and had no natural dawn light, although the tasks were routine.  When I did biological field work that required a lot of driving right after waking, the natural dawn light and mental engagement of the project helped, but I was still sitting in a car a lot of the time.  The best was when I did biological field work that required being up and out the door hiking hard terrain within minutes after staggering out of  bed, breaking a massive sweat and elevating my heart rate as the sun came up, and being immediately forced to focus hard on a rote, but important and detail-oriented, field task involving handling and/or observing wild animals.

That last example is a lifestyle I could adjust to as a non-morning person.  That kind of hard physical exercise outdoors, getting up before dawn and going to sleep by 8:30 pm at the latest, is also the only lifestyle that has temporarily cured my lifelong tendency to insomnia.  I sleep like I'm dead when I'm working those jobs.

So, for me, intense physical exercise starting at dawn was the key.  But I have never found a way to really boot my brain into high-functioning abstract or analytical gear until mid morning or later.

[BTDretire]

I have a humongous calendar/whiteboard on my wall. It thinks for me. I consult it every day. As I think of something, it goes up on the board, so that later I don’t have to summon the energy to think of it. Then when I wake up in the morning, I just look at the whiteboard, and “do.” It allows me to write down and organize my thoughts and priorities. Before the whiteboard, I would spend half the day making a to do list that would never get done because I wasted so much time.

I don’t allow myself to do anything until I have completed everything planned for that day. It keeps me from procrastinating and filling up my time with unintended activities. Of course it still happens from time to time, but I’ve gotten much better.

 The whiteboard is a great idea, in my case I would need to hide the marker, or my better half would fill it up for me! :-)

[Daisy]

It's really interesting to me how most of you do super early mornings. I like the idea of it, but it is torturous to me to get up in the morning. Is it really possible to be converted to a "morning" person? For anyone who is more naturally a night person, can you describe how you managed to overcome it?

I HATE mornings. I feel inherently most awake/alive in the evening and at night. I do get up consistently by 7am (sometimes 6:30) and to work by 8am (living right by work is a huge quality of life thing for me). I am always, always groggy in the morning and hate getting up, even if it's not a work day and we have plans to do something I really want to do.

I try to maintain good habits: I don't drink coffee all throughout the day, just one cup in the morning and maybe an iced coffee (made at home, pretty weak) or cup of tea (at work) with lunch, but not every day. I try to get regular exercise (at lunch a couple times a week or right after work). if I have alcohol it is rarely more than one drink and not every day, maybe 3 or 4 days one week and then nothing for 3-4 weeks, so probably an average of 1-2 drinks per week total. I don't stay up late; I'm generally in bed between 9-10 (even though I would really prefer to stay up), but I just can't shut my brain off and have terrible insomnia. I don't watch TV in the evening, or ever, really. After the kids are in bed I either cross stitch or read, both of which are calming to me. No TV in the bedroom, I keep the room dark and quiet. I practice yoga regularly. I still can't freaking get up in the morning. I'm open to any advice!

It's not possible to 'become' a morning person. That crap is written by morning people. Imagine how they would do trying to 'become' night people! The fact is that it makes sense that the entire tribe was not asleep all night, in case there was danger. It's just out bad luck that morning people have taken over the world, but even they would be screwed with out the night shift - bakers, cooks, security guards, police, doctors, retailers, every cleaner on the planet etc etc. Screw the bloody morning people that think the work day is over at 5pm!

+1

I am not a morning person either. This talk about being so productive in the mornings is very annoying to me.

I have an upcoming flight at 7 a.m. which means I'd have to get to the airport around 5 a.m. and leaving home around 4 a.m. I know this means I will not get a good night's sleep the night before stressing out over waking up in time. I am seriously thinking of going to the airport late at night the night before and just sleeping on benches. Probably not a great night's sleep but I wasn't going to get one anyways stressing out over getting up so early.

The struggles of a night owl...

[dodojojo]

Well, clearly, I have no chance of an intentional life...I struggle to wake up by 7:30.  I finally did come to the same conclusion as a couple of posters above--I set my alarm to go off at 7:30 all seven days.  I cannot stick to a wake-up schedule when I slack off on the weekends.  I hope to break the 7AM barrier in a few weeks.

[rosarugosa]

I've been getting up for work at 4:00 - 4:15 for years, so since FIREing a few months ago, I've been setting the alarm for 5:00, which feels like sleeping in (hey, everything is relative).  I spend too much of my precious morning time on the internet though, so I do need to find the best way to get value from my early morning hours.  I don't think I was a born "morning person," but after decades of getting up early I do think of myself as a true morning person at this point.

[lizzzi]

I don't think you have to get up early in the morning to lead an intentional life. Maybe your time for meditation or whatever is going to be at 4pm when you sit down with a cup of herbal tea...or just at sunset, when you take a time out for meditation, journaling, yoga breathing, or whatever you do--before the suppertime and evening routine starts. It's going to be different for everybody. When I was still in the workforce, my supervisor made a point of chasing us out of the office during lunchtime, encouraging us to go to the local parks or green spaces...or to the river front...and just have our brown bag lunches there and go Zen for a while.

[AnnaGrowsAMustache]

I think some people are confused about what a morning person is. I am NOT a morning person. But I can get up and get things done because I'm a grown up, even though it hurts every single time. I need to get up earlier and have a longer waking up period, and even then I'm not at my best until after lunch. Left to my own devices for awhile, I naturally go for the 3am bedtime and the 11am wakeup. That's how I work.

Regarding the intentional living, I agree with the people who get the most done in the morning, but I work on MY morning schedule. So after lunch is my best, my "morning".

[Dances With Fire]

Great thread BTW...

Started with some yoga in the mornings. Up during the week @ 4:30 a.m. (Very basic stretching after having back issues some years ago. It really does help.)

Taking notes during the day and reviewing those in the morning. (This may be as simple as a grocery list to small projects around the house.

Limiting working overtime. (I have done it far too long and now it is no longer necessary.)
Limiting any Saturday work. "   "   "   "
No more Sundays or late nights.

Focusing more and more on what we value and ignoring, or at least reducing the rest.

[lbmustache]

I feel like virtues of being an early riser are overblown... with that said, I am naturally a morning person.

For those having trouble waking up early, one thing is to see when you "naturally" awaken. If you notice yourself waking up at say, 7am, but going back to sleep till 9am, 7am might be a natural time for your body to adjust to. I think the BIGGEST thing is actually letting some light into your room in the morning. Right now it's a bit brutal for me to wake up before the sunrise (ugh), but my "natural" wakeup time is ~6:30 or so, which coincides with daylight.

I also recommend sleep apps that track stages of sleep. I don't use them anymore but they do help to wake you at a natural point during your sleep cycle, rather than smack dab in the middle of deep sleep.

Intentional life: PAUSING, taking time to enjoy LITTLE THINGS (birds chirping, a nice breeze, small moments that make you smile during the day)...  gratitude is probably the biggest thing. Sometimes all it takes is a moment of recalibrating thoughts to something like, "I'm grateful I have a nice car, I am able-bodied and can drive myself to work, I also have a source of income" rather than "I HATE MY LIFE MY JOB SUCKS I CAN'T BELIEVE I NEED TO SIT IN TRAFFIC MFHE*#&T*&T!@#."

[DragonSlayer]

For me, the biggest thing I do to live intentionally is to turn off the Internet. I have scheduled periods during the day when I can use it, otherwise it is unplugged. Otherwise, I spend far too much time down various rabbit holes and wasting time. I do what I need to do, get off, and unplug it. If I have research questions, I write them down and look them up later rather than interrupting the flow of my work. No more wasted time and I get more done. It also helps curb my anxiety because I'm off social media and away from the news. Mental peace leads to better work and more intentional uses of my time.

And, yeah, I know there are apps for this, but they are too easy to circumvent. The plug for the modem is hard to reach and the boot up time is so long that it's not worth trying to turn it on just for a "minute" (that inevitably leads to 30).

[markbike528CBX]

.....Right now it's a bit brutal for me to wake up before the sunrise (ugh), but my "natural" wakeup time is ~6:30 or so, which coincides with daylight.

I also recommend sleep apps that track stages of sleep. I don't use them anymore but they do help to wake you at a natural point during your sleep cycle, rather than smack dab in the middle of deep sleep.

I live where the sunrise varies from 0430 to 0700.  The bedroom has skylights that we now keep open in winter and closed in summer.  However the skylights do let in a wakeup amount of light even when closed.   

I'll have to lookup sleep apps.   My wife's phone is new enough that we might do that.

@DragonSlayer-  I like the modem idea.    People should also note that their phone has an OFF button.

[GuitarStv]

I feel like virtues of being an early riser are overblown...

I think that the time you rise isn't too important . . . but getting stuff done soon after you get up is.  Spending a couple hours working on stuff right after breakfast puts you on the right track to have a productive day.  If I procrastinate until lunch, I'm likely to keep procrastinating for the rest of the day . . . and then supper rolls around and I'm getting too tired to do much.

[MoneyMouse]

I've found doing gratitude exercises every day to be an amazing tool.

Reading through the earlier posts here, I definitely want to get back into an early morning practice. I want to start a blog and maybe get back into fictional writing, too. I'm trying to arrange my life so that I can sleep at 9:45 PM on Mon and Friday at least, maybe Thursday too, so that I can wake at 5:30 AM to run, lift and then take some time to write.

Unfortunately, I'm more in the habit of rolling around on the floor stretching aimlessly or staring at Imgur than living intentionally right now. And re-reading The Name of the Wind has me sucked into a fantasy world until the early hours of morning. But I'm working on it. Will try to relegate my reading to the lunch hour, possibly while walking on a treadmill at the work gym...

[MoneyMouse]

I feel like virtues of being an early riser are overblown...

I hear you, though for me I think the reason being an early riser is such an alluring and productive thing is because in the early hours, the world around you tends to be sleeping or slowly coming awake.

There's something about being fully awake and having accomplished a good deal before most of your neighbors have even rolled over in bed. Plus, the silence and stillness of the early morning is addictive.

[Serendip]

 Intentional to me is acknowledging how I function best and what I value--I enjoy my mornings to be lived at a relaxed pace so I don't start work until 2:30 and rarely plan for morning events (except if it's a longer hike or ski day)

I wake up around 6:30/7am, meditate (in bed), make turmeric milk and then read in bed for usually at least an hour (a book or online). It's a slow way to live but works well for me.
Then I can draw, do yoga, or go outside for a long walk before working the afternoon/evening.