Well, it’s time for a new challenge. A challenge that I’ve put off for so long.

From time to time, I wake up at 5am, sometimes 4am, sometimes 9am. It’s been random because I’ve been undisciplined with my habits at night.

I work late, come home late, put my daughter to bed late and take a bath late.

It’s time to step up and actually do this seriously.

Why Am I Doing This?

I love to test things regarding productivity. (Productivity is such a heavy word isn’t it? How about I change that to Accomplishments instead?)

I know how I work and I understand my moods & energy levels by now as I’ve been testing my task management and focus the past year. But I haven’t fully tested my focus and energy levels in the early mornings.

So, Goal #1 = Will it help me Accomplish more meaningful things each day?

I’ve done it in the past, waking up consistently at 6am but fell off once December hit and I never got my mojo back. From my tests then, I know that I need to have a habit in place. If no decision making is needed, the better the start of the day is.

That’s how I’ll be structuring this challenge. I’ll need to come up with a set of things to do the moment I wake up for the next 30 days.

I know there are a ton of BS and a lot of repetitive things out there when it comes to the topic of “productivity” and if you are reading this, then you’ve probably read a lot of them already.

This brings me to Goal #2 = See if it works for ME and if it’s sustainable.

I’m realistic. I’m not gonna lie. If this is just BS, then I’ll tell it as it is. Things won’t always work out the same way for everyone.

Notes for this Challenge

1. Sleep Between 10pm-1130pm

People that do this challenge typically sleep around 8-9pm. This is unrealistic for me at this point in my life and with what I’m doing.

The good thing I have going for me is that I fall asleep in 5 minutes or less the moment I lie down. I’ll target 10PM as sleeping time but I won’t limit myself. I will read if I wanted to.

2. Get Loved Ones On-Board

I can’t make this happen if they don’t support me. They also need to adjust and they will be the support system to keep me going if I do end up working late at night. Hopefully, I could finish early and do a shutdown sequence on schedule.

3. Start the Day doing the Same Routine and End the workday with the same Routine

• I will Snap a picture with the time.
• I will post on this blog.
• I will plan priorities for the day.
• I will meditate if it’s not gym day.
• WORK
• End the day with a shutdown routine. Basically planning the next day or reflecting on the day, and then tell myself to stop it!

4. If something is tedious to do, then it’s not sustainable. I’ll drop it

Sometimes, there might be things that seem like good ideas to do but in the long run, it can turn out to be tedious. If it is and I don’t see the value, then it needs to be dropped.

5. What If I Miss a Day

Then I’ll be honest about it. No sense punishing myself for it. You just learn from it, move forward and be better.

6. Preset Target Accomplishments for the Month – Track through Target Pomodoros

I hit 8-15 Pomodoros depending on what kind of day it is. I’ve set it to 18 right just for the heck of it. I know it’s not a great way to track productivity, but it’s something plus it’s not like I won’t be planning the tasks.

That’s it. I’ll see you tomorrow morning on Day 1, hopefully, at 430am.

The post #EarlyFor30 Challenge – A Sleepyhead’s Journey to Waking up at 430am for 30 Days appeared first on Dennis Seymour.