“LET’S GO!! WE ARE GOING TO MISS THEM!!” my roommate shrieked on Saturday morning. I knew exactly what this meant and before I knew it we were running out of the dorms, across the lawn and to the cafeteria. It was 11:51 am and we had exactly nine minutes to get to the dining hall before they would stop serving breakfast and we would miss them. We would miss the waffles.
Most people that know me now, see me as a morning person, but this was not always the case. Nearly every Saturday and Sunday of college, my roommates and I would race to breakfast to get there before they switched to lunch food. Sometimes we were successful, sometimes we were not. And now, as a person with Celiac’s Disease (who can’t eat waffles), I look back longingly on all the waffles I could have had if I had just gotten up earlier.
Now, as a morning person, I feel greatly outnumbered. So, I want to take this post to recruit more “morning people” because I think many “night owls” don’t realize how good we have it. I’m about to convince you to join the morning people. I know that trying to get a night person to be a morning person is like trying to get me (a Giants fan) to like the Eagles or Cowboys, but I’m still going to try anyway. This is based on no research and is strictly opinion, but I will have a debate with any night person that wishes….
New Start
The morning is a new start. It doesn’t matter how bad yesterday was because today is brand new. As a morning person, I am wildly productive before 8 am because of the optimism that comes with a new day. If you are a night person and plan to be productive at night that’s fine. But let me ask you this- if you have a crappy day, do you still get everything done that you planned to do when you woke up? If you do, then please privately message me and share your secret.
The truth is, that if the day goes unexpectedly bad, more than likely the night will be spent putting out fires or just recovering. A morning person has already completed a lot so a bad day doesn’t affect productivity later on.
Control
When you start the morning productively and on your own terms, you start the day with a sense of control and order. You are better able to respond to the things that you cannot control. It was great sleeping until 11:50 am in college, but with the day starting out stressful, it was more likely to stay that way.
When you wake up early and embrace the extra time, you are given a chance to relax and focus. You can plan and anticipate for the day and make sure that you always get there in time for waffles (it may be the last day you can eat them).
No Distractions
It’s weird, no one asks me to hang out at 5 am. I’ve never once had anyone ask to meet up, talk on the phone, or watch the football game together. The morning is this amazing time where distractions are at their all-time low. You are nearly guaranteed to be uninterrupted. In terms of productivity, this time in the morning is unparalleled. There are no distractions, you haven’t had a bad day, and you feel in control of what the day is going to bring. You don’t even have to worry whether or not something better is happening without you (it’s not).
Maybe you have a lot more willpower than I do, but the day often brings distractions and opportunity for plans to change. When I plan to work out or get something done after work, there is a possibility that something better or more important may come along. In the morning, this just doesn’t happen.
Adult Life
I haven’t bragged about staying up late since I was seven. Adult life isn’t set up for night people. No one brags about how late they stay up as they get older because staying up late means still having all the same responsibilities, but now on less sleep. Most jobs are 9-5 or around then. Businesses have 7 am hours, but none have 11 pm hours. Life is setup for the morning.
Finally, I don’t understand when night people claim that they CANNOT do mornings or they HATE them. Just because I love mornings doesn’t mean I hate nights. So, why do night people speak so horribly about the morning? If I’ve failed to convert you then hopefully you’ve at least developed new appreciation for the morning.
Anyway, who wants to hangout tomorrow at 5 am?
P.S. I still regret all the waffles I didn’t get to eat.