Some Financial Benefits of Waking Up Early
Are you the type of person who enjoys sleeping in as much as possible? If so, then you might find yourself missing out on the financial benefits of waking up early.
The Early Bird Catches the Worm
People who wake up early are more successful in their jobs according to at least one study. Moreover, they have higher job satisfaction.
The first part – success – seems immediately obvious. If you’re up and at ’em then you’re taking maximum advantage of work opportunities. Therefore, your chances of success go up accordingly.
But what about that second part – job satisfaction? If you’re naturally prone to sleeping in then you might think waking up early would make you hate your job. However, if you love your job then you might want to wake up and get going.
You don’t just get the financial benefits of waking up early because you woke up. It’s the fact that you’ve taken the time to find something that makes you WANT to wake up early and go do the work that really makes the difference that leads to success. That said, you can “fake it ’til you make it” by establishing the habit of waking up early starting now. As you develop the habit, work on what would make you enjoy waking up earlier more.
Early to Bed, Early to Rise
“makes a person healthy, wealthy, and wise …” The same study showed that people who woke up earlier thought of themselves as healthier than people who chose to sleep in. Lingering in bed might correlate with depression or another mental / physical health challenge.
In contrast, waking up early correlates with health. Health challenges can seriously impact finances. Therefore, the healthier you are, the better financial benefits you’re likely to reap. If waking up early is a sign of health, then developing habits that allow you to rise earlier might be financially beneficial.
Feeling Good About Yourself
The Ladders points out that waking up early to start work can help build confidence. You might also simply feel virtuous being up and at ’em before everyone else. Starting off your day on this foot can help you feel like you are ready to take on the world. As you enter the regular workday, you’re a step ahead of someone who has just rolled out of bed after hitting snooze five times. You’re ready to go. And that means you’re ready to earn.
Doing What You Love
You may or may not ever have the opportunity to do what you love as a full-time career. But you can take those early morning hours to do what you love. And you can build it into a side hustle, part-time job, or retirement business. Thus, you not only reap the financial benefits of waking up early, but also get the emotional and creative benefits of building n ew opportunities doing something that you love.
Preventing Inertia
If you have the ability to wake up whenever you want, and you choose to sleep in, then you might be debilitating yourself with inertia. Lazy mornings that linger into the afternoon can wind up with you at the end of the day feeling like you wasted the whole day. And then you just do it all over again.
This feeling leads to a homeostasis where you’re doing “all right” but aren’t really maximizing your time. One of the financial benefits of waking up early – and getting productive at the start of the day – is that you circumvent this inertia. In fact, studies indicate that simply learning to wake up early makes you a more proactive person in your own life.
Time to Plan, Not Simply React
If you’re becoming more proactive in your life then you have the ability to set and meet long-term goals. Waking up early gives you the time and space to think ahead. You can problem-solve, schedule, and organize your work life in those early morning hours. Therefore, you don’t just find yourself rushing out into the day and then reacting to whatever happens. You have more control over your own life, which leads to sounder financial decisions.
You’re Earlier Than Others
On the one hand, this is obvious. But how exactly does this translate into the financial benefits of waking up earlier? Here are some examples:
- Your commute might be easier, saving you time which translates to saving money.
- You are prepared for early-morning meetings so that they go well.
- If you have a boss that values your early arrival, then you win points with the boss.
- If you work in a global business, such as finance, then starting early could open you up to different, better markets and opportunities.
Additionally, getting to work early gives you time to settle in. Therefore, when people start to stream in to the office, you might be ready to give them your attention. Coming from a place of peace, instead of rushing, you’re able to meet them from a positive viewpoint. As a result, you build those relationships. Those relationships can become invaluable networking resources over time.
- Frankly, You Just Get More Hours in the Day
On one hand, you don’t want to work yourself to the bone. After all, you need work-life balance. On the other hand, waking up early can give you a few more hours in the day to get things done. Maybe you’ll spend that time doing work that financially benefits you immediately. Alternatively, you might rest, exercise, socialize or do other things that benefit your overall health and wellbeing. Either way, you set yourself up for success.
That said, don’t try to cram too many hours in one day. Staying up all night then also waking up early means burning the candle at both ends. Instead, get the right amount of sleep … but then get up early and get going! That’s the only way to begin to reap the financial benefits of waking up early.
