“Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.”
Benjamin Franklin

Whenever people talk about time management, getting up early seems to be one of the key habits to learn. But what about us night owls? We can’t operate a coffee maker at 7am, because we reach our productivity peak around 10:30pm. If I naturally wake up before 7:30am, it’s probably because I have to go to the bathroom! When I go on a personal retreat, the first thing I do is sleep. Then, after dinner, I stay up, full of inspiration, working until 2 or 3 in the morning without a single yawn or cup of tea.

So here’s the bad news. Getting up early is sometimes the only way we can accomplish certain tasks. When I do hot yoga, I do the 6:15 am class. That is simply the one that best suits my schedule and priorities. If I don’t do my spiritual practices before my little boy gets up (at 7:35), I don’t do them that day.

But take heart, fellow night owls! Just because there are times when getting up early is the best way to manage our time doesn’t mean we have to give up precious sleep. Here are some tips on how to get up early without feeling like a total zombie.

1. Ease of getting up early.

Don’t set your alarm 2 hours earlier and wait for success! Start small. If you already have a hard time waking up when your alarm goes off, try going to bed 15 minutes earlier for a week before trying to get up earlier. After that week, set your alarm 15 minutes earlier for a few days. Once it’s manageable, move your alarm time back in 15-minute increments until you wake up 60 to 90 minutes earlier. Yes, you will still feel tired, because we can’t fight our bodies, but it’s not about becoming an early riser, just pretending.

2. Find your motivation.

There’s probably at least one thing you’d really like to accomplish each day, and the best time to do it is when you wake up. Maybe it’s a workout routine: doing it first thing in the morning means your post-workout shower doubles as your daily shower—that’s time efficiency! Maybe it’s prayer or meditation. And just a piece of advice: if meditation is your thing, do it in a nice, well-lit room while sitting upright to avoid falling asleep again. If you’re a writer, get started on those first drafts while sipping on your morning caffeine. Start your early waking routine with a task that you really want to do, because your desire will be the final push to get out of your warm bed.

3. Get organized.

Make sure you have everything you’ll need accessible first thing in the morning. I wear contact lenses, so I always have my glasses on my nightstand. If it’s cold outside, I put my robe within arm’s reach. If I get up before my spouse, I take out my clothes the night before so I don’t have to fumble around in the dark. For a while I was doing the Morning Miracle routine and I fixed everything in my office. That way I could get out of bed and walk straight to my office and be productive.

4. Partner up.

Accountability is a fantastic way to develop new habits, and if you find a partner on your quest to get up earlier, you’ll be much more successful. You can sign up for an exercise class early, schedule a prayer call with a friend, or hire a life coach!