For those who have tried to wake up early in the morning, there’s one thing that is probably true for all of them.

The secret to waking up early is not as easy as go to bed early, wake up early…strike oil.

Going to bed early and having more hours of sleep may not translate to you becoming an early riser all of a sudden. Some people have tried to go to bed as early as 8 to 9.30 pm but still find waking up to their alarm at 5 am or 6 am a chore.

And then wonder, if there’s still just one secret they are missing.

One secret that will turn them into a morning person forever, or as long they deem fit.

But then it seems like there is no secret. Nothing. Just set the alarm, rise up early and do something useful with those extra hours, before the rest of the world wakes up and fill the earth with distractions left and right.

If there are no secrets, why do they get 8+ hours of sleep and still can’t just jump out of bed at 5.30 am or 6 am?

One simple reason

There’s an issue with their reason why – their motivation.

There may be other reasons (they didn’t get a good sleep, stressed, sick, didn’t hear the alarm, didn’t sleep all the 8+ hours because of this and that), but this is a big one.

If your reasons are not strong enough, you should stop waking up early…or better bolster them – make them more motivating.

When you do, the motivation alone will wake you up even before your alarm goes off on some days. It may even reach a point where you won’t need the alarm anymore because you’ll be waking up 10 to 30 minutes earlier than you used to.

Where do you get the motivation to wake up early in the morning?

Partly, it is in the quality of sleep you get, the sound of your alarm…

But when you take a closer look, things start to get a little bit more interesting.

There is more to the quality of sleep and the sound of the alarm.

Human desires.

Human desires, either arising out of fear (for example, of missing out on an opportunity,) or courage (for example, to try something new, to put more of your potential to use when that means cutting a little fun and comfort out of your life).

Not many people wake up just to do nothing with the extra morning hours, especially if they choose to jump out of bed by themselves and are not doing it just because it is an order from their superior or some sort of rule they have to obey to avoid getting into trouble.

The moment you understand this and come up with your reason why, doing your best to make them strong as possible, things will click into place. It will be easier to resist the warmth your bed provides.

Figuring out how to tell your brain to shut it and pump enough energy in your arms to allow you to jump out of bed quick will be easier than it used to be.

And you’ll certainly start enjoying those hours, alone, when you realize, how great a gift you can create for yourself and others during those few hours or minutes, which could as well have been spent dreaming of things you are now able to wake up each morning and do.

The human desires that will help you come up with your reason why can be divided into two: what you want for yourself and what you want for others.

1. What you want for yourself

I, for example, wake up early for this reason. There’s so much I want for myself. There’s so much I want to do. And I am at peace with the idea of wanting things for myself – because somewhere, I read that the best gift I can give this world is a better me.

So, I wake up to do things that are in alignment with my goal of being a better me: sharing the knowledge I have and my experiences, studying, learning new skills, honing the skills I already have and creating new things that I, as well as others, can use.

When I write, I do it knowing that these words that I write in the morning could be all someone needs to go over the several bumps life seems to tirelessly line in front of each one of us.

I believe that with each article, poem, story or book I write, newer opportunities to come up with things that inspire me and put a smile on my face during the day are created.

And when I smile and happy for these things that come from within, I am more motivated to keep on doing that no matter the obstacles that may line up in my way.

This reason alone pushes me out of bed fast, especially on days when I wake up in my sleep and the temptation to hit the snooze button without even looking at my alarm becomes stronger.

There’s so much to do and so much to resist doing and waking up early in the morning to get started is something that I find works out for me.

I also like the fact that even if I did absolutely nothing during the day, I shall have done something worthwhile by the time the birds start chirping, more so especially during the times when I turn myself into an advanced early riser.

2. What you want for others

This one is tied to the first point above. Even if you can’t give any other thing, except the best you, that is worth waking up early in the morning for.

If you get more done during the extra morning hours and become less anxious, you are more likely to pay attention to your neighbor than be absorbed in your world, your thoughts & feelings, deadlines you have to beat, or things you are missing out on.

I am usually happier when daybreak comes and finds me having done and completed what sometimes takes me a whole afternoon to do.

When you feel good, you are more likely to create more opportunities to allow others to benefit from your kindness…love.

Even if the world, once in awhile takes advantage of this, it can’t do it to the point that it takes away your smile forever. You’ll be down under the water for awhile, then figure out a way to keep your head, and your whole body, above and out of the water – to keep giving what you have always made a conscious decision to give, a better you.

You should not let anything rise, easily, above your reason why. That is why it is a good idea not to start with the exact time you want to wake up each morning if you are planning to become a consistent early riser.

Start with what you want to do and who you want to be as a person.

This will lead you to look at your life closely: to look at the things you’ve always done, those that you do in the present, those you are planning to do, figure out the ones that can help you stop chasing your own tail, how much time you need to achieve them, whether you need extra hours and if squeezing some early in the morning is the best thing to do, given the circumstances you find yourself in right now.

Get your motivation for waking up each morning this way, and every time your alarm goes off, you’ll have more and better reasons to get out of bed – reasons that go beyond, ‘Oh, it’s the alarm. That sound means it’s time to rise and shine.’

It all starts with who you want to be. Be clear about this first. When you are, do.

What would motivate you to wake up early in the morning? If you are struggling with coming up with a great reason why, why do you think that is?