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SLEEP - Waking up feeling great

Guest post by: spencer blackwelder

Article Overview: All of us have a to do list. That list of tasks that will make our day. Of all the tasks we have to do, just waking up is likely the most difficult task of my day. Sleep is one of my favorite things. I love my pillow. Especially on one of those cold wintry mornings, leaving the warmth of my bed, leaving my wife "baby doll" to get up and go to work is a little demotivating. Many of us have it simply listed as a time in the morning. However, did you know that the way in which you awaken every day, can determine how well your day will be? Today we'll explore 5 steps that will get you up, wake you up and charge you up for the rest of your day.

SLEEP - Waking up feeling great

All of us have a to do list. That list of tasks that will make our day. Of all the tasks we have to do, just waking up is likely the most difficult task of my day. Sleep is one of my favorite things. I love my pillow. Especially on one of those cold wintry mornings, leaving the warmth of my bed, leaving my wife "baby doll" to get up and go to work is a little demotivating. Many of us have it simply listed as a time in the morning. However, did you know that the way in which you awaken every day, can determine how well your day will be? Today we'll explore 5 steps that will get you up, wake you up and charge you up for the rest of your day.

To overcome our sleepy time, we have to give ourselves some help. For me, and I'm sure for others too, sleep is right up there with sex as a favorite thing. Anything else you may have to do pales in comparison to sleep. This acrostic is my method for getting up............

SLEEP

* SIX - Get SIX hours minimum. You may have time for more, if so, great! However, get at least SIX hours of sleep. Here is the real secret to waking up and feeling less tired, time your wake up time to be in 1.5 hour increments. That means, if you need to wake at 6:00 am, be in bed and asleep at midnight. If you have time, add 1.5 hours to the six hours of sleep and you get 7.5 hours of sleep, meaning you need to be in bed by 10:30pm to get up by 6:00am. What's going on here? Our bodies go in and out of sleep in a cycle all night long. Semi awake to deeper sleep. That cycle takes about 1.5 hours. About 45 minutes going down to a deeper sleep, and 45 minutes coming up to near awake. Time your sleep so that you're supposed to wake up on the up turn of the cycle and you'll feel like getting up.

* LOVE - Yes, I know that this is a little touch feely, but get someone to Love. Every morning when I get up, I remind myself of the people that I love dearly that are depending upon my success. My wife "baby doll", my kids. As my parents get older, they are included in my morning thoughts of love. This one step alone is the most motivating.

* EXIT - Get up as soon as you wake up. Just get up. For me, hitting the snooze is the first step to being late. Snoozing starts me back into the down cycle of my sleep, making it so much harder to get up. So, just EXIT the bed.

* ENERGIZE - Energize your body by moving. I have never been an advocate of exercise, but it is a great idea. Even some simple stretches may be all you need to get your body moving and awake. You'll be more alert even before the morning blast of coffee.

* PURPOSE - In the earlier part of this list I suggested you think about your Loved ones. Purpose is more about you. What do you want? What does your work do for you? What does it allow you to buy? Some of us work because we are passionate about our work, that's ideal. However, many of us work because we have to. That's OK, but it's better if you have something you're working toward for yourself. Find that PURPOSE and think about it first thing in the morning. For me, P also stands for PRAY. It is very much related to my purpose and gets my mind charged at the very start of the day.

That's it. Get some sleep, you'll be well rested and ready to start your day. Remember, success is made up of a series of good days strung together. A good day is a step on the road to success.

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Article Tags: sleep, time management, to do list
Referred by: http://www.bni.com



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