Getting all experimental

I always encourage people I work with to experiment, so I have been experimenting for the last 3 weeks with super-early starts to my day.

I now get up at 0425hrs every weekday. I know right. Seriously, I haven’t completely lost my mind and here’s why.

I set two alarms – one at 0425hrs and one at 0430hrs. I've only needed the first one so far.

I go straight to the computer and start work on something valuable. No phone, no internet – just content production, administration, or planning activities.

I always go to bed at 2100hrs anyway – I usually read for 20 minutes then sleep – always have done in recent years.

I do get a full 7 hours of sleep in which works for me. It’s always a balance between productivity and sleep and I’m just in the recommended acceptable range here.

The maths bit

The magic comes with the maths. I used to get up at 0600hrs (still early) so I see it as getting back 1.5 hours per day – that’s 7.5 hours per working week.

That is a whole extra day – I effectively work a 6-day week in 5-days. 

I am genuinely more dynamic and creative during the rest of the day.

Perhaps most importantly, I have achieved a huge victory over my uber-lazy self who always wants to stay in bed.

I also really love the weekends and the weekend lie-ins even more now.

I still also have a day job by the way – when people ask how I manage to be as productive I can tell them. Now you know.

Early starts are a definite keeper for me.

All the best to you and yours

Andrew D Pope