The connection between leadership and early mornings.

I often receive the comment, “I don’t know how you get it all done!” But there’s no super powers involved. It has everything to do with 5:00 AM.

After discussing scheduling and family-work balance with my mentor this past week, I decided I should unpack my secret (not-so-secret) sauce.

Set the alarm for 5:00 AM.

Is it painful? Yes.

Does it get easier? Yes. And the benefits will keep you setting that alarm every day after that.

The Benefits of 5:00 AM

1. The world is quiet.
   • I’m an extrovert and love having people around, but there’s something to be said about stepping out my front door and hearing nothing! And the drive to the gym, office or coffee shop is slow out of choice, not traffic.
2. People are peaceful.
   • There’s a very different feel of a coffee shop at 5:30 versus 8:30. No one’s in a rush. No one seems to be stressed. Everyone seems to be at peace. This makes for polite interactions, great conversation and unique opportunities to share the Gospel.
3. Work gets done!
   • No matter which industry or ministry you’re in, we all know the ongoing interruptions that happen in a 9-5 work day. These come in texts, emails, social media and face-to-face interactions. But from 5:30 to 8:30 AM, you would be amazed at how infrequently your phone lights up or buzzes!
4. There’s time for meetings.
   • My early morning routine increases productivity 10-fold, giving me a serious jump on the day. By 9:00 AM, the stress to get things done has decreased significantly, making my schedule more available and my mind more engaged for the people who need my time.
5. The day ends early (sometimes).
   • I understand that this doesn’t apply for every position, but for those of us who have a more flexible schedule, starting early means leaving early. For me, most days end at 3:00 PM just as my boys are finished school. This alone is well worth setting the alarm for 5AM!

The Biggest Benefit of 5:00 AM

The biggest benefit of 5:00 AM hits you at about 8:30 PM. It arrives with big yawns and long blinks. Most evenings, even Netflix can’t overcome the exhaustion that hits you on the couch after a 5AM day.

I’ver heard all the kick-backs about “I can’t sleep in the evening” and maybe it’s true for some? However, for those who have excepted the challenge and committed to 5 days of 5:00 AM, by the fifth day I often hear stories of family members waking them up half way through an episode of their favourite Netflix series.

Waking up at 5:00 AM means 16 hours awake by 9:00 PM. Most human beings are simply tired from being awake that long. You will start looking forward to bedtime which is an incredible benefit in of itself.

So why not try 5:00 AM? You might like it!