You Don’t Have to Be a Morning Person, But It Sure Helps

If you live in any part of the country where winter brings below-freezing temperatures, you know how hard it can be to find the motivation to do anything. In Virginia, from December to March, you might wake up to a toss-up of freezing weather, rain, or snow. Nobody wants to go anywhere because it’s a whole production. You have to dress in layers, wear a big coat, and choose between boots or old sneakers, so you don’t ruin your nice shoes. Then there’s preheating your car, and by the time you arrive at your destination, you’re left struggling with that bulky jacket because you finally made it inside where it’s warm.

It goes against thousands of years of evolutionary instincts to wake up early in a cozy bed and say to yourself, “Let’s go do something uncomfortable. Let’s go work out.”

It seems like you can hardly scroll through social media anymore without some fitness influencer or company shoving the “wake up early and grind” propaganda down your throat. “JUST LET ME BE ME!” is what many people probably want to scream from the rooftops. I used to feel the same way. “I don’t need to wake up early to be successful at the gym. I can wake up at 8 a.m., go about my day, and hit the gym or complete my cardio after work.” And that’s completely true. Waking up early isn’t the only path to success in fitness; anyone who tells you otherwise is likely misinformed.

However, waking up early can be one of the best ways to prevent life from interrupting your plans. I don’t know about you, but there are so many days after work, or late in the afternoon or evening, when the last thing I want to do is get dressed for the gym and exert more energy. Not to mention, sometimes work runs late or life throws unexpected curveballs, making it hard to get your workout in at all. Sure, you can shake your fist at the sky and lament, “Woe is me. Why does life keep getting in the way of my goals?” But let’s be real: this isn’t the first time something has derailed your plans, and it won’t be the last. Remember, if you fail to plan, then you should plan to fail.

The reason I’ve found so much solace in waking up early and getting my workout in is that very few things can get in the way at that hour. Of course, it’s easier to feel motivated to work out in the morning when it’s the night before, and you’re not yet grappling with the challenge of peeling yourself out from your cozy sheets. But not everything is supposed to be easy or come with 24/7 satisfaction. The truth is, the process of waking up early isn’t so bad once you establish a routine you enjoy.

For example, I wake up most days between 4:45 and 5:15 a.m. My morning routine is something I now look forward to. After my alarm goes off, I slide my leg out from underneath my dog and get out of bed. I stumble to my closet to get dressed, and before I change, I always put on a podcast to listen to in the background. This helps my brain start waking up and gets me motivated for the workout ahead. Then I head downstairs to enjoy a fresh cup of coffee and some quick carbs (like a banana or an English muffin). At this point, the morning is mine. There’s nobody I need to talk to, no additional responsibilities or action items—just me, the morning, and my goals.

Now, of course, since it’s winter, there’s that unfortunate moment where I have to awkwardly sprint to my car, moving as gracefully as the Grinch tiptoeing with his bag of gifts, just to preheat it. But this is a small sacrifice for the reward: when it’s finally time to drive off, my car feels like an incubator, and I’m unbelievably cozy.

I usually finish my workout just before or after the clock strikes 7 a.m. This gives me plenty of time to come home and prepare for the day before work starts. And if anything comes up in the afternoon or evening, I know I’m not missing anything. My “hard thing” for the day is done. The truth is, I truly believe most people understand the benefits of waking up early and knocking out their workouts. However, no matter how much you sugarcoat it, it’s hard. Waking up before 5 or 6 a.m. is a challenge, especially when the weather is miserable and the reason for waking up early is to sweat.

But you need to shift your mindset from short-term perspectives to long-term goals. Imagine your life if you could complete 100% of your planned workouts versus just 80%. Sure, 80% is still passing, but you’re closer to a C than an A.

Just try being a morning person for 1 week if you haven’t before. Wake up early, create your routine, enjoy the time that is yours, and see how much more you can accomplish with those extra hours in the morning and evening.

Keep chasing that 1%, and have a great week!