Getting up early and working.

[FDJustin]

Sleep kind of erases my motivations from the night before. Without motivation, it's easy to become lazy, procrastinate, or distracted. A very useful way to help you at least get started on things when you do wake up, is to get everything set out the night before, so you don't have to prepare.

This might mean picking out the days outfit, placing it and a fresh towel in the bathroom, ready for your shower. It might mean tossing coffee and water into the maker, so you need only press a button the next day. (I think some of them can even be programmed to start 5 minutes earlier than your alarm is set). If your first working task is to check emails, leave your email program/browser open, and use the sleep or hibernate feature of your computer.

The point is, if the prep-work is already done, you will feel much less need to give in to distractions or procrastination, as you can just start.

 

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[FastNAwesome]

I've experimented a LOT with sleeping more, less, not at all, at day, at night...

My recent conclusion: get enough sleep, and get it when it most suits you.
Your hours may be more productive, I tried zero and little sleep, and yes
you FEEL that you're working harder, and you are, but is your work of same quality?

Sleeplessness is in my opinion good to use once in a while, when you need something done asap.

As a lifestyle no - tried many times.

 

[throttleforward]

Studies are clear - the vast majority of people require significant sleep (>6 hours/night) for ordered thought processes, short and long-term memory formation, avoidance of depression, and other positive/necessary mental processes.

Also, it's important to remember that high effort and high time-on-task are not equal to effectiveness and efficiency.

 

[jessica_david]

Hi
Once I was in same position as in you are but to overcome this all you need is to just wake up early in the morning for a week so as you wakeup early, you will get tire soon and this will help you to sleep early in night. As i did and it really worked.

 

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[ideapad]

I know that it is difficult to find the right motivation and the correct rhythm for work from home in the beginning. Thw flexibility which is a big advantage can easily turn into a hurdle for many. It is as much a question of discipline as of passion for the work you are doing. If you cannot get up early, well then you either have to train to do so or you should think your day-planning over generally. A couple of people manage to work later in the evening and have better results.

 

[yahdmon]

This is me in my perfect life. Right now -- rat race dictates i get up at 6 at the latest... imagine that while working on your business which keeps you up till 11PM or 1AM. Trust me, you do not want to run into me at 8am lol

 

[Russell]

This is me in my perfect life. Right now -- rat race dictates i get up at 6 at the latest... imagine that while working on your business which keeps you up till 11PM or 1AM. Trust me, you do not want to run into me at 8am lol

Hey yahdmon, this is me right now. I wake at 7am, shower, breakfast and get to the local University library at 8am, unpack in a private room and pretend it's my office. I'm not a student but no one has questioned me yet. I work until 10pm with an hour out for exercise, lunch and sunlight!.

I tried building my software while having a job, it did not work. My advice is to cut your expenses to the bone until you have 6 months savings, then work on your business fulltime. You have to experience the feeling of taking control of your life.

I'm launching my minimal viable product in 13 days (with some customers lined up already) and I'll still have 5 months of living expenses in the bank.

Don't half-a$$ the fastlane.

 

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[Kak]

6:30 short wake up shower, eat a snickers, 30 minute workout, actual shower, work until lunch time, work until about 8pm and do another 30 minute workout and shower, late dinner and hang out with girlfriend, read for an hour before bed.

Weekends I have no provider correspondance so I set my auto emailer and go golfing or chill. There is nothing I can do for customers until Monday. I will work on other busimess things on the weekend but its low impact.

Sent from my GT-P7510 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Vigilante]

This is one of the greatest quotes I have ever read on this forum
"get to the local University library at 8am, unpack in a private room and pretend it's my office. I'm not a student but no one has questioned me yet."

Love it, and if it is true it is exactly what people mean when they talk about wanting your business success more than breath itself.

You, sir, will succeed.

 

[Russell]

This is one of the greatest quotes I have ever read on this forum
"get to the local University library at 8am, unpack in a private room and pretend it's my office. I'm not a student but no one has questioned me yet."

Love it, and if it is true it is exactly what people mean when they talk about wanting your business success more than breath itself.

You, sir, will succeed.

Hey thanks Vigilante, I just follow the rule "It's better to seek forgiveness than beg permission". Just don't be too rude about it.

 

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[Entrepking]

Tips

Let's face it, getting up early is awful. Especially when you know you've got a full day of work ahead of you. Just recently getting an office job it was a difficult transition from night owl to working stiff, but here are a few tricks I picked up to help. They are kind of nerdy.


Sleep when tired - Sounds silly, but if you go to bed when you are not tired you'll just stare at the ceiling. Don't simply go to bed at the same time on principal; after going to bed when you are tired you will eventually end up getting into a routine and going to bed at the same time.


Pick out clothes the night before - It helps more than you think. Making simple mundane decisions can be difficult when you first wake up. Some people even suggest wearing the same thing every day.


Program your coffee maker - The thought of making coffee in the morning may be annoying, while a programmed one that has your cup ready can be something to look forward to.


Set your alarm far far away - Most adults have a talent of hitting the snooze button almost in their sleep. Snoozing is low quality zzs and should simply be avoided. Setting your annoying alarm across the room ensures that you will have to rise to turn it off.


Exercise - Most people who aren't used to getting up early hate exercise, but it really helps build energy. A few push ups, sit ups, light treadmill work, or anything really is beneficial.

 

[Mike39]

I have been reading the 4 hour body by Tim Ferriss (author of the 4 hour work week), there is a chapter on sleep and he talks a ton on everything from having a little almond butter before bed to a cycle that makes you only need 2 hours a sleep a day!!

I have not had the chance to try any of these out yet so don't take my word for it if any of it doesn't work, intend to experiment will all of it over the next couple of months and see what my personal results are but for now, I'm just a messenger. Also, I'm not going to get detailed about it, go buy the book if you want to know more its the best $30 you'll ever spend (besides TMFL )

Simple ones:
-Take 2 tablespoons of organic almond butter on celery sticks before you go to bed toe reduce the "feel like shit" phase in the mornings
-Try different room temperatures and find which one works best for you, Tim suggests from 67-70 degrees
-Take a cold bath 1 hour before bed
-Eat a large fat and protein meal within 3 hours of bedtime
-Do iso-lateral movements (like resistance training), iso lateral being one arm or one leg.

He gets into custom sleep cycles, gizmos and gadgets to help maximize effective sleep and different types of sleep but I think the basics I covered up above.

Again, buy the book!

Let me know how any of this works for you guys if you try it out! Again, I don't know if any of it will work I haven't tried it.

Hope that might be helpful somewhat,
-Mike39

 

[Kak]

Entrepking, sleeping when you are tired is all fine amd dandy if you have an internet business amd can work all night. I need operating hours though.

6:30 is no big deal at all when I get up exited to do what I do and about potential opportunity for the day.

 

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[DeletedUser2]

So I have been playing with this for years.

I have found that I have a cycle of rhythms that I go through in the day.

I like to wake 8-9 then I wake normally for me. earlier can be invigorating, but I cant do it all the time with out throwing off my other cycles.

till about almost 10, i love to read, Read a book, have coffee, have quiet time, have read emails ect. and start ordering my day.

at about 10 I am on Fire!
I love to get alot done in the next 2 hrs. then I have to take a break and eat. I get alot of projects answered, started, or moved to the next phase in those 2 hrs. they are the most productive, if i am talking to people.

lunch is just food for me. I like to eat with people, and catch up on non essential stuff.

by 2PM is my low time. I no longer sched anything from 1-3 if i can help it. no phone, no meeting ect. its when im in my thinking zone.

after 3 I pick up my second wind and im good till about 6.
7ish, food, dinner, reading, spending time with family, daughter ect. 7-9 low time again.

about 10Pm i start picking back up. from 10-1am im on fire again and I get some of my best thinking, writing, or extremely focused work done.

knowing this has allowed me to lay out my sched like this.

morning, read and think
10 am. People and problems. meet with people, talk to people, or solve problems.

1-3 no people, no problems, just thinking, food, and social stuff.

4. second wind, people and problems, setting things for tomorrow to do and get done.

6-9 low, slow, and family glow

10-1. extreme focus, spread sheets, writing, communications, gaming, bed.

since I know this I adjust my sched accordingly and it has worked out very well for me for the last 8 yrs that I have been adhering to it. I can always adjust, it just that I have found when I am most alert, or when my eyes glaze over. and just move my schedule around to match that.

 

[theBiz]

i think we all have similar burst of energy like your self Zend, its difficult to keep going strong throughout the day, eating is the real killer, coffee all day is the solution!

 

[verial]

Here's a simple solution:

1) Buy caffeine pills.
2) Set your alarm 30 minutes before the time you ideally would like to get up. Set it away from your bed.
3) When your alarm goes off, get up and take one of the caffeine pills.
4) Set your alarm 30 minutes from "now".
5) Go back to sleep.
6) When your alarm goes off again, it is your ideal wakeup time, and the caffeine is already kicking in.

 

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[Brentnal]

I really need someone to help me, my work ethic sucks for things i don't like to do. my day goes like this, wake-up at 7am with an intense hatred for my life, i start at 9 am at my internship, i get home at 17:15. I get home tired a$$ F*ck, i want to sleep but i need to make my homework and try to read something about impor/export. I don't do both because i am so tired and i just want to sleep.

This is a huge obstacle in my life, i just need somebody to tell me what to do to get a crazy work ethic. So that i can do things like a robot without emotions, like i'm not even human.

I've been on this forum for a few years now, i read alot of things like you need passion and motivation and all that crap.
I don't have any passions i am a lazy F*ck who hates his life, i'm tired of all these stories that people have a passion/motivation for something and that makes them work very hard.

Where are the people who have crazy work ethic doing things they don't like to do or is that impossible? I am not going to try and search for a passion because i think thats wasting time.
There must be some people on this forum who can help me.

 

[pickeringmt]

I really need someone to help me, my work ethic sucks for things i don't like to do. my day goes like this, wake-up at 7am with an intense hatred for my life, i start at 9 am at my internship, i get home at 17:15. I get home tired a$$ F*ck, i want to sleep but i need to make my homework and try to read something about impor/export. I don't do both because i am so tired and i just want to sleep.

This is a huge obstacle in my life, i just need somebody to tell me what to do to get a crazy work ethic. So that i can do things like a robot without emotions, like i'm not even human.

Dude, let me start by saying that I understand how you feel.

You may not like the rest...

You need to change the way you see things.

Are you going to spend your time in prison waiting out your life sentence, hoping you can get out for good behavior - or are you going to spend every minute driven to escape from hell?

I'll stop you before you have a chance to reply - I know you don't feel like you have a choice. Like I said, I truly do understand. I've been waking up everyday for over 5 years at around 4 am, working full time, busting my a$$ trying to build a real business on the side and constantly failing. I went to college like this. I had 2 kids during this time. Even though I feel like the experience, relationships, and education I have gained over this period is absolutely priceless, very little has actually improved in my life after pouring every ounce of energy I have into changing my life.

But ask yourself this:

What is your alternative?

Seriously, what is it?

I'll tell you exactly what it is - nothing. There is no alternative. There is no quitting. No sympathy. No easy days.

This world is going to kick your a$$ at every step you take, every inch you crawl forward because you are doing it for yourself. You are stepping out of the line. You are leaving the herd, and the herd will hate you for it.

Your previous life hates you for it.

The freaking WORLD hates you for it.

You are digging yourself out of prison with your bare f'*ing hands while everybody else sleeps.

Now imagine yourself laying in a bed dying.

Think about how much the knowledge of you being capable of success and never actually achieving it would hurt.

You will never regret what you do - only what you didn't.

Turn your hatred into motivation, and start digging....

 

[travisl]

I really need someone to help me, my work ethic sucks for things i don't like to do. my day goes like this, wake-up at 7am with an intense hatred for my life, i start at 9 am at my internship, i get home at 17:15. I get home tired a$$ F*ck, i want to sleep but i need to make my homework and try to read something about impor/export. I don't do both because i am so tired and i just want to sleep.

This is a huge obstacle in my life, i just need somebody to tell me what to do to get a crazy work ethic. So that i can do things like a robot without emotions, like i'm not even human.

I've been on this forum for a few years now, i read alot of things like you need passion and motivation and all that crap.
I don't have any passions i am a lazy F*ck who hates his life, i'm tired of all these stories that people have a passion/motivation for something and that makes them work very hard.

Where are the people who have crazy work ethic doing things they don't like to do or is that impossible? I am not going to try and search for a passion because i think thats wasting time.
There must be some people on this forum who can help me.

You need to have a clear goal that you're working towards. A lot of entrepreneurs talk about knowing your "why" and that is what is going to keep you relentlessly chasing your goals. If I understand why I'm doing it all, there is suddenly sense in all of the action that you take. If you've ever built a startup, you'd know exactly why your "why" matters too. It sucks. It's depressing. It's isolating. It's stressful. It's tiring. It's risky and your future is unsure. Holding on to your "why" keeps you going.

The problem is it's really easy to forget your "why." I know for me, I set up an automatic text on IFTTT that texts me my life's main goal right now, and why I'm doing it. Every day. It helps keep me focused.

If you figure out your why, and the shit that you're doing and you hate it doesn't make sense, then maybe you should stop it. Why do you have your internship? Why do you go to school and do homework? Why are you learning about importing?

It's obvious you're striving to be better, but why are you? To make more money? To change a problem in society? For your family? To achieve freedom?

Those are all valid answers.

Now are your current actions getting you closer to your end goal? If they are, and you feel like this is the best course of action, then you'll at least have a reason to persevere until you reach a better day.

If not, you need to make some changes. Life's too short to hate what you do, and not even know why. Change it up until you find something that you like doing better. A lot of people say that can't find their "passion." But you know what you HATE doing, so why not just start with doing something that you don't hate and that will move you a little closer.

Seriously man, there's no reason to stay in circumstances that you hate. This one resonates with me a lot right now, because I have a friend that just killed herself because life wasn't going her way.

But you CAN make a change and you CAN get to a better place. I decided not to just please my parents and skipped college and the whole internship thing because I knew I would hate it.

That resulted in me having some entrepreneurial success, getting hired at a startup at the age of 19, making good money and then managing people that had their college degrees. So don't believe the illusions in society in what everyone is doing with their internships and hating their life.

Stop thinking about, and just make the massive changes that you need to in order to get to your final goal which might be living a life where you're not waking up with an intense hatred for it.

If you're here, you can do it. I know how you feel, and I know you can get out of that bad cycle that you're in right now

 

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[Ikke]

i just need somebody to tell me what to do

Perhaps you should not look to others for a solution but look at yourself. The choices you make, make the life you live.
If you feel like you are going nowhere, maybe you should make a plan for your life. Set your ultimate goal and work back from that. Than each day you can make small contributions towards your goal.

Not trying to kick you down, but I wake up at 6:15 each day and don't get home till 18:00 earliest. So don't feel too sorry for yourself.

 

[pickeringmt]

@Brentnal

One thing you should realize also:

Motivation DOES NOT proceed action.

Satisfaction DOES NOT proceed action.

Nobody becomes a highly motivated super human BEFORE they do something.

It's momentum. Getting it rolling is the hardest and most critical part.

 

[Brentnal]

If you figure out your why, and the shit that you're doing and you hate it doesn't make sense, then maybe you should stop it. Why do you have your internship? Why do you go to school and do homework? Why are you learning about importing?

Well i know why i do the things i do, but that doesn't mean i am motivated by it, for example. i am reading about import/export not for fun but because i need money and i don't want to be a slave for somebody else. I can look for things i like i have a few things i like to do, that is relaxing on a beach with nice weather. Hanging out with friends, driving cars. The problem is the things i like to do are not going to make me rich. I was even seriously thinking about dealing drugs for a short time.

I also think waaay to much about everything, how much i hate my life and all the shit i need to do, this is so extreme that i somethimes get headaches.
I know i am a whining baby and that people have it worse than me but i am just telling the way i feel, some people are harder than others mentally.

 

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[Brentnal]

What is your alternative?

Seriously, what is it?

I'll tell you exactly what it is - nothing. There is no alternative. There is no quitting. No sympathy. No easy days.

This world is going to kick your a$$ at every step you take, every inch you crawl forward because you are doing it for yourself. You are stepping out of the line. You are leaving the herd, and the herd will hate you for it.

Your previous life hates you for it.

The freaking WORLD hates you for it.

You are digging yourself out of prison with your bare f'*ing hands while everybody else sleeps.

Now imagine yourself laying in a bed dying.

Think about how much the knowledge of you being capable of success and never actually achieving it would hurt.

You will never regret what you do - only what you didn't.

Turn your hatred into motivation, and start digging....

Thanks man i needed this, i might print this out to remind myself this, whats the alternative?
My head is just so full i somethimes can't even think normally, worrying about money all kinds of nonsense. I tried meditation and sports and gaming but when i'm done with all those things my mind keeps worrying. Oh well i'll find a way to make my brain stop thinking one day....i hope

 

[travisl]

Well i know why i do the things i do, but that doesn't mean i am motivated by it, for example. i am reading about import/export not for fun but because i need money and i don't want to be a slave for somebody else. I can look for things i like i have a few things i like to do, that is relaxing on a beach with nice weather. Hanging out with friends, driving cars. The problem is the things i like to do are not going to make me rich. I was even seriously thinking about dealing drugs for a short time.

I also think waaay to much about everything, how much i hate my life and all the shit i need to do, this is so extreme that i somethimes get headaches.
I know i am a whining baby and that people have it worse than me but i am just telling the way i feel, some people are harder than others mentally.

Then you might want to start figuring out things that you can do that will get you out of your situation that you hate so bad.

Keeping that image of you relaxing on the beach and not having to scrape anymore won't make you rich itself, but if keeping that goal in mind causes you to take massive action to get there, then you can use that.

Remember, once you get caught in a loop you will stay on that loop until you do something drastic to get you out of it. Poor people tend to get poorer. Rich people get richer. You need to step out and do something to get yourself on a different track than you are right now. Unless your current situation will lead you to your goals and to a life that you don't hate. If it's a dead end, then I think you should look into changing it up.

Then, go do those things, without waiting any longer.

What could you do instead of the things you're doing right now that will get you closer to your goals?

 

[Brentnal]

I think i need to stop whining and grow the F*ck up and accept the fact that if you don't want to be poor this is what i will have to deal with, and just F*cking do it. I think i underestimated what you entrepeneurs go through my respect just grew even more. It's all worth it. This is part of the journey part of me growing up. But deep inside i feel like i am not a fastlaner forreal, i just want to be free and live life and have that private jet and that villa. And just chill maybe thats part of the problem, you need to have something fastlane in yourself to achieve it.

 

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[scott.legendre]

I really need someone to help me, my work ethic sucks for things i don't like to do. my day goes like this, wake-up at 7am with an intense hatred for my life, i start at 9 am at my internship, i get home at 17:15. I get home tired a$$ F*ck, i want to sleep but i need to make my homework and try to read something about impor/export. I don't do both because i am so tired and i just want to sleep.

This is a huge obstacle in my life, i just need somebody to tell me what to do to get a crazy work ethic. So that i can do things like a robot without emotions, like i'm not even human.

I've been on this forum for a few years now, i read alot of things like you need passion and motivation and all that crap.
I don't have any passions i am a lazy F*ck who hates his life, i'm tired of all these stories that people have a passion/motivation for something and that makes them work very hard.

Where are the people who have crazy work ethic doing things they don't like to do or is that impossible? I am not going to try and search for a passion because i think thats wasting time.
There must be some people on this forum who can help me.

The people who have crazy work ethic are the ones who are working towards something that is extremely important to them. If you are not working towards anything, then the days are just a drag and there's no point to any of it. you don't need to be passionate about what you are doing but you SHOULD be passionate about what will be achieved because of what you are doing. Time is short.

 

[marklov]

Thanks man i needed this, i might print this out to remind myself this, whats the alternative?

 

[brewster]

The people who have crazy work ethic are the ones who are working towards something that is extremely important to them. If you are not working towards anything, then the days are just a drag and there's no point to any of it. you don't need to be passionate about what you are doing but you SHOULD be passionate about what will be achieved because of what you are doing. Time is short.

So true. Once you find something you're passionate about—everything else recedes into the background.

It's been months since I've watched a movie. I feel like a foreigner in this world at times, especially when logging into Facebook. It's like I'm living in a different world.

 

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