You need to stop using the snooze button. Every time you hit it you are telling yourself “I do not want to get up, because I do not want to start this day. I dread the hours that lie ahead of me”.
That’s not a good thing to tell yourself.
But before implementing a lot of other tips, I think you need something to be excited about.
That’s the best way to not need a snooze button.
You need something that makes you want to get up.
So do something that’s beneficial for yourself in the morning. Something you want to do.
Then you’ll automatically want to do those other things, because you’re excited to start the next day.
Build a morning ritual about something you really like, whether it’s reading, taking a long shower, enjoying a coffee, cereal or oat meal, or watching stand up comedy.
Make sure you want to get up in the morning.
For me, what I really look forward to is drinking my coffee and writing in the morning. So I included both of these in my routine, and slapped on some other helpful habits, to create a habit stack.
It’s called The Miracle Morning.
If you think any of the following could be part of a morning ritual that you’ll look forward to when going to bed, consider giving it a shot: reading, writing, practicing silence, visualizing your day, exercising.
The original Miracle Morning consists of 6 steps, but I tweaked it to include my MIT (most important task), which is my writing that I so much enjoy.
Here’s a quick recap of the entire process:
Step 1: Read for 10 minutes right after waking up. If you’re short on time, just read one page.
Step 2: Exercise using only your body weight, doing 2-3 different exercises. No time = do one set of one exercise, e.g. 33 push ups.
Step 3: Recite your affirmations to yourself in front of a mirror. Read them out loud in the beginning. This is a form of positive self-talk.
Step 4: Practice silence, either through meditation, just sitting or taking a (cold) shower.
Step 5: Visualize today’s tasks, imagine yourself working on them. Pick a specific spot to do this at, e.g. stand at the window and look outside.
Step 6: Write into a journal, list 3 things you are grateful for, or use the 1-sentence journal (just answering 1 question) to make sure you’re set and ready to go.
Step 7: Take care of your MIT during a 25-minute time block (Pomodoro technique)
I’ve written a very detailed guide on how to implement the entire routine, and various ways you can customize it to have it work for yourself.
I’ve been doing it for 6 months and I often find it hard to go to bed – because I’m super excited to start the next day!
You can check out the full guide here: The Miracle Morning Solution – 7 steps to a life-changing morning routine
Hope this helps you!