6 Reasons Why You Need To Become A Morning Person

I used to be a night person. A night person is one who has a preference or habit for staying up late at night. It's not unusual for a night person to be found staring blankly at a television or computer screen at all hours of the early morning claiming an inability to sleep. Night people get energized when all others around them are turning in for the night. Night people typically wear this habit as a form of distinction or characterization--hence the name 'night person'. 

Nevertheless, I was a night person for many years--until I became a father, and realized that if I were to get anything done, it had to be in the morning. So I switched over to 'morning person' not unlike the day I decided to shift from a left-handed golfer to a right-handed one (long story...).  

I realized something very important about being a morning person: it has a different kind of rhythm, a different kind of head space. Whereas the evenings are more dreamy and abstract, mornings tend to be clearer and pragmatic. If you want to meander around in a dream-like state, stay awake late at night. If you need to get something done, get up early in the morning. 

With this said, here are reasons why you want to become a morning person:

1. Get a jump on the day: When I was a night owl, I was at times coerced (by ambition mostly) to have early morning meetings with prospective clients. The typical breakfast meeting was at 7am, which to me was just plain wrong. What I realized over time was these were the people out there making moves, cutting deals, getting leads, drumming up business. I saw that in some ways the world was given to the morning people. I feel the same now when I get up early--that I am getting a good jump-start on the day.

2. Mornings say productivity: I know there are many who can produce at night; but I've noticed that I can get more accomplished early in the morning. Again, evenings tend to be more abstract and dreamy--which is why people usually hit the bars and pubs at night, and coffee shops in the morning--and mornings more pragmatic. If you have something important to do, rise early and get it done before breakfast. The rest of the day is golden

3. First fruits: Money managers will always tell you that when you get paid to pay yourself first with a certain percentage. To me, this also applies to creative work or any kind of important task. When you get up early to work, you're putting your first fruits forward toward that special task. I always feel better when I've reached breakfast and have put 1-2 hours into my work or an important long-term project. 

4. Join the ranks of popular morning people: Winston Churchill, Oprah Winfrey, Jennifer Aniston, Steve Jobs, Charles Dickens, Tim Cook, and Ernest Hemingway--to name a few. 

5. Perhaps happier: In a study done in BMJ on night people (owls) and morning people (larks), the conclusion was that while night owls show slightly higher intelligence (whatever that means), they are more prone to substance abuse and getting into trouble. Conversely, morning people were more conscientious about time and other people, and more proactive. Hence, while the study showed night owls to have more money and access to cars, larks might in fact be happier. 

6. Possibly better for parents: If you have younger children, burning the midnight oil could lead to chronic lack of sleep. Falling asleep in front of the TV at 2am and being awakened at 6am by your 4 year-old can lead to serious health and productivity problems. Alternatively, falling asleep with a book in your hands at 11pm, rising at 5am to get work done, and greeting your child at 6am with warm breakfast offers a greater pay-off across the board.

If you're a night owl and are lacking productivity, consider switching over to mornings. While there are programs that help you transition, it took me a few days to adjust--I just one evening decided to turn the lights out at 11am and set my alarm to 5:30; and it's worked quite well for several years now. There are the odd times when I slip back into my old night owl habits, but I simply get back into my routine when I need to.