Instead, set a positive intention about this change to set yourself up for success. Create a statement about why becoming an early morning riser will benefit you. This will shift your thoughts from morning dread to morning enthusiasm.
Know why you want to get up early.
Have a plan as to why you want to get up early. Do you want to slip in a workout before your work day starts so that you can spend more time with your family at night? Do you have a project that you want to complete when the rest of your household is asleep to minimize distractions?
Think about this and write down your goals. Then visualize how you will feel once your tasks are complete. This will remind you why you want to make this change in the first place -- and keep you focused on the end results.
Plus, if your plan is exercise, set your clothes out ahead of time. It’s too easy to crawl back into bed before actually working out in the morning. The sooner you get out of your bedroom and on your way, the greater your chances of success.
Get plenty of sleep.
Make it a point to get an adequate amount of sleep. Former night owl John Zeratsky writes about this concept in Time, saying that it’s essential to think about how much sleep you require in general. This means planning to go to bed at an hour that will allow you to get the amount of shuteye that you need.
Further, he notes that food and drink should be taken into account because they will influence just how well you sleep. For example, alcohol will hinder sleep. And caffeine consumed too late in the day will keep you awake at night. Avoid behaviors like these that will harm your efforts.