Have you ever tried to get out of bed before the sun is up, only to find that your blanket suddenly becomes the most convincing argument for staying put? I know that feeling too well.

But here’s the thing: if you can’t pull yourself out of bed when it’s hard and quiet and no one’s cheering you on, how will you pick yourself up when life really knocks you down?

Waking up early isn’t just for those who seem to have life all figured out. It’s not just about checking off tasks or having time to sip tea while the city sleeps.

No, getting up early is where resilience is built, bit by bit, like stacking blocks in a quiet room before anyone else is awake to see.

Let me paint a picture: it’s 5:45 am, and my Oura ring shows a “just okay” 74 sleep score. Not horrible, but not great either.

My body begs for another hour (or five), but I know better. I know what happens if I let myself sink back into that warm comfort. I’ll pay for it with a day that feels rushed, messy, and twice as stressful.

So, I push myself up, groaning at the cold floor and squinting like my eyes are still in a dream. Not glamorous, right? But this is where real growth starts—in the unglamorous.

One time, I put months of work into a major project, juggling tasks with my ex-business partner Marino, swapping ideas with Mike and Laura, handling so many calls it felt like I was speaking more than breathing.

Then, one email later, the whole thing fell apart. I sat there, staring at the screen with that half-stirred cup of coffee that now tasted like disappointment.

The easier thing would have been to sulk, binge on some mindless show, or maybe even strom out for a midday walk.

But here’s where all those early mornings came in handy. The memory of getting up when I didn’t want to, day after day, whispered to me, Get up. Try again. You know how. So I did.

Because when you train yourself to get up early, you’re not just building a habit; you’re building a safety net for when life smacks you upside the head.

It’s easier to bounce back from a setback when you’ve practiced facing hard moments in the quiet of the morning when no one’s there to clap for you.

If you can pull yourself up when the only reward is a sleepy walk and a hot drink, you can do it when real life gets tough.

So how do you go from “barely scraping by” to a productivity powerhouse? By making sleep a priority. Here are the exact steps I’ve implemented to boost my sleep quality and make my days more productive.

So, what now? Try getting up just a little earlier tomorrow.

When your alarm rings, don’t hit snooze. Fight the urge, throw off the covers, and get your feet on the floor.

You might shuffle around with your eyes half-open, glare at your coffee as if it’s personally to blame for the early hour, and your dog might even give you that seriously? look. But it’s not just about the morning—it’s training for the days when life feels like it’s hit you with a brick.

Get up early—not just for productivity, but to practice resilience.

That way, when life decides to knock you down, you’ll already know how to get back up.

It’ll be just like another early morning when you showed up for yourself, even when the bed felt like the best place in the world. And that’s how you know you’re ready for whatever comes next. 🧑🏻‍🦲

🤜🤛 Don't be a stranger. Let's drink a 15-minute virtual hot beverage - no strings attached. ☕