Transforming From a Night Owl to a Morning Person: My Journey

Chapter 1: Embracing Change

For those who are skeptical about New Year's resolutions or phrases like “new year, new me,” it’s likely that making lasting changes feels daunting or unnecessary. However, for me, resolutions have always been a cherished family tradition that typically yields positive outcomes.

I’m thrilled to share that in 2022, I successfully transformed into a morning person!

This transition was anything but easy. As a habitual night owl and an alarm snoozer, I adored my bed and sleep—something everyone around me recognized. The allure of a warm bed and the comfort of various sleeping positions was almost irresistible, especially in the mornings.

Photo by DANNY G on Unsplash

Nevertheless, I decided to tackle the formidable challenge of welcoming each new day with the enthusiasm and energy it deserves. While morning people can often seem irritating, they also appear to radiate a certain happiness (however peculiar) that intrigued me.

My Secret to Success

I owe much of my success to insights gained from James Clear's Atomic Habits, particularly three key principles:

Focus on who you want to become, not just what you want to achieve.
Understand the importance of your environment and the four laws of behavior change.
Recognize that systems are more effective than goals.

1. Focus on Who You Want to Become

This might come across as overly sentimental, but this principle was my foundation. Our identities and self-perceptions significantly influence our behaviors. By labeling myself as not a morning person, I inadvertently created an additional mental barrier: waking up early felt like an anomaly, while sleeping in confirmed my self-image.

Now, I embrace early mornings as my new normal. The rare occasion of sleeping in? I simply savor the moment (and typically, I've already woken early to enjoy a cup of tea in bed).

Photo by Sage Friedman on Unsplash

The key is to redefine your identity and align your actions with that vision over time. It’s an uncomplicated yet powerful strategy that worked wonders for me.

2. Environment and the Four Laws of Behavior Change

The four laws are: (1) make it obvious, (2) make it attractive, (3) make it easy, and (4) make it satisfying.

When my alarm rings at 5:30 AM, I often lack motivation. The person I was the previous day, eager for an early start, is nowhere to be found, particularly in the initial stages of this shift.

To combat this, I treat my “morning self” like a groggy zombie. Consequently, I:

Use a gradual light alarm clock that eases me awake before my main alarm.
Set a timer for an electric heater to warm my bedroom.
Place an alarm in the kitchen, ensuring I have to get up to turn it off. Trust me, nothing motivates you to rise like an urgent alarm!
Pre-arrange appealing items for my morning routine, such as tea cups with bags ready and the kettle filled, cozy winter attire, or my running shoes with morning reminders.

These strategies are crucial, especially during the early phase of changing habits, as you tend to gravitate towards the easiest option when you’re still half-asleep.

3. Systems Over Goals

Goals can be arbitrary and often lead to demotivation. While I occasionally set goals, particularly in coaching, I prefer using them as loose benchmarks rather than definitive endpoints.

Tracking progress is far more vital than fixating on future goals. For instance, my resolution to become a morning person focused on daily routines and mindset rather than stringent targets, and the long-term results speak for themselves.

Here’s a glimpse of my journey—once a classic sleepyhead...

...now I wake up early to savor the morning!

What if I had opted for strict “SMART” goals, like waking up at 5:30 AM five days a week? That approach could have easily turned into a source of stress, making me obsess over minor setbacks and failures.

Instead, I choose to embrace a long-term perspective on change that harmonizes with my lifestyle.

In conclusion: Decide who you want to be, establish a routine that fits, and liberate yourself from the burdensome expectations of rigid goal setting that may not serve your long-term growth.

The first video titled "17 Secrets to Waking Up Early (FROM AN ACTUAL NIGHT OWL!)" offers practical tips for transforming your morning routine, especially for those who struggle with waking up early.

The second video, "5:30am morning routine PRODUCTIVE (night owl to early bird transformation) | AMY SUN(DAY) VLOG," showcases a successful morning routine that can inspire your own transformation.