I Woke Up at 5 a.m. Everyday for 66 Days - Here's What Happened

In the world of personal development, waking up at 5 A.M. every morning is a trend that has been going around for some time now. Many high-achieving CEOs and lifestyle gurus claim that waking up before the Sun does, marks the difference between those who succeed and those who fail.

And to be honest, when I think of a productive, boss-like morning routine, the first thought that comes to mind is waking up pretty damn early every day.

Research says that it takes 66 days to build a new habit - and what better habit to start in 2021 than waking up early every day. That's why I decided to embark in this journey and test myself to see whether those productivity claims were actually true.

The Benefits of Waking Up Early

I constantly see articles and posts about why it's so beneficial to wake up at this ungodly hour, as most of them promise that it will make you 10x more productive and happier.

According to many studies, waking up at 5 a.m was going to give me more time to do things such as self-care, personal development or exercise. If you really think about it, it's quite obvious, as the less time you spend sleeping, the more time you have to do other things. But whether or not you choose to do something productive during that time is completely up to you.

In addition, it supposedly made you sleep better and improved the quality of your sleep. Research shows that by keeping your body on a sleeping routine, it will make it easier for you to sleep and wake up naturally, as your internal clock will be balanced.

Finally, many claim that by getting out of bed extremely early, I was going to be more motivated and more ready to take on the day. But let me tell you that there's nothing motivating about waking up at 5 a.m in December.

After much research into the matter, I realized that it all came down to having more time, more available hours in a day. However, contrary to popular belief, having more hours to do things doesn't necessarily make you more productive; and there's a big difference in waking up at 5 a.m, and waking up just early.

What It Taught Me

After 66 days of waking up at 5 a.m, I realized that it wasn't for me. However, it did teach me plenty of things that helped me develop healthier habits and look at mornings in a different light.

Discipline.

If this taught me anything, it was that self-discipline is important. It's no secret that being disciplined has many advantages, but I also realized that if you really want to stick with something, discipline isn't the best answer.

A few months ago, I wrote an article that outlines why it's much healthier and more efficient to see habit-forming as a period of experimentation rather than a period of control and hard work. And after attempting to do this for that many days straight, having this mindset truly helped me.

More time doesn't equal more productivity.

While it's true that waking up earlier - even on Sundays - gave me more time to do things, I also realized that it didn't necessarily make me that much more productive. I enjoyed having more time to practice mindfulness and take my mornings slow, but it didn't make a huge change in my life.

Having more hours in a day also gives you more hours to procrastinate or to take longer to carry out simple tasks. In addition, there are days in which I didn't have that many jobs to finish, which made it feel pointless because I had so much time to kill later on - even after exercising, practising mindfulness and working on my passion projects.

The first couple of weeks I was also very tired, thus making me work slower and be less productive than I normally am.

There are other ways of being productive.

As I said earlier, having more time doesn't mean that you'll be more productive. In fact, there are many other ways to be productive that don't require waking up at 5 a.m. every day.

For instance, by planning your day ahead and having somewhat of a routine, you'll be more likely to enjoy the morning and also get things done. Eliminating decision-making tasks in the morning will also make you feel lighter and save valuable time. Moreover, setting an intention and identifying the core tasks that you need to get done throughout the day will also give you a sense of purpose and motivation to get up. And the list goes on and on.

I enjoy mornings.

I'm a morning person all the way, but this was no secret. I enjoy mornings a lot, but waking up so early made me hate them a little bit. Therefore, I realized that I loved waking up early, as it gave me more motivation and extra time to practice mindfulness. However, waking up at 5 a.m. is too early for me, so that motivation and feeling of accomplishment that I usually relish went away, and I started having a sense of dread.

Final Thoughts

Even though I didn't stick with waking up at 5 a.m. every day after the 66 days, it gave me a lot of perspectives and insight about how my body and mind work.

I learned that more time doesn't equal more productivity and that there are many other ways that you can accomplish that without having to wake up so early.

Everybody has their own rhythm and needs, so waking up so at 5 a.m. might not be for everyone. That's why it's important to know yourself and your body, and establish a routine that enhances when you feel the most productive and plan your day accordingly.

Furthermore, trying to form healthier habits is something that you should do every once in a while, and if that particular habit doesn't work for you, you should be open to change and adjustments. For instance, after trying to wake up at 5 a.m. every single day, I started waking up a little earlier than I did before, but not this early.

And not completing or sticking with a certain habit doesn't make you a failure; instead, it should be seen as a learning experience necessary to make improvements and changes.