In my youth I stayed up late and I slept in like it was my job!  I used to brag about how late I routinely stayed up late.  Sleeping in was a way of life for me.

Then I got a job where I had to wake up early and a funny thing happened, “sleeping in” had a new definition.  All of a sudden getting out of bed at 7am was late and sleeping until noon became simply impossible, where just a few months earlier it was normal.

I used to joke, “I didn’t even know they made a 5 in the morning!” and now it is my favorite time to Notebook!

This all began because I’m not a monster.

Let me explain…

There are certain activities that are not appropriate at certain times.  At 5 in the morning loud things should be avoided unless you’re a monster.  Everyone knows that mowing your lawn or snow blowing your driveway at 5 am (or earlier) should be a federal offense!  While I could go on and on listing things to avoid (tuba practice comes to mind), I won’t.  Happily, Notebooking is one of those things that won’t wake anyone up.

So with Notebook in hand and an inability to sleep past 5 am I, unknowingly, began to irreversibly improve my days and my Notebooking.

Like all good things, this started with a nice beverage.  Coffee to be specific.  Kenya AA I had roasted to City+ 2 days earlier to be exact.  To say that beginning my day with coffee and quiet contemplation improves my life would be an understatement.

It turned out that the simple act of changing my routine had a profound effect on my writing.  Without the crushing weight of a stressful day in the rear-view mirror, I no longer had to try to avoid whining.  In fact my Notebooking entries took on a feeling of optimism and excitement without me noticing.

The frustration I felt at times when my words wouldn’t flow was replaced by a feeling of calm whimsy.  “It’s still the start of the day, there’s always more time to write later”, I would tell myself.  Well, actually that’s not quite true.  I didn’t tell myself that.  I simply felt it.

Interestingly, it became very rare for me to not have anything to write.  Perhaps it was because my mind was a blank slate, or maybe it was because it was quiet so there weren’t any distractions. I think it was because I had both no agenda of what I “had” to write and I had a hard time limit.  I had about an hour and a half before other people started waking up.  In fact, more often than not I would end up doing most of my writing in the last 10-20 minutes.

The best part about early morning writing, for me, was the way my day went better.  On mornings that I was able to write I felt more positive.  I was happier and more cheerful.  It took a lot more to get me down than on days I hadn’t Notebooked.  This is the true magic of early morning writing.

So… how do we do it?

• Plan Ahead  For as much as you might want the benefits of early morning Notebooking, it won’t happen if you sleep through it.  This means getting up early.  Unfortunately, this might mean getting to bed early.  Trust me, it’s worth it.
• Try for Natural Light and Fresh Air  Sometimes this makes all the difference, so if the weather is willing and the sun is already awake, seize the morning.
• Go Somewhere Different  I’m not saying you need to cross state lines.  Start by sitting somewhere different.  A change of scenery can lead to a change of mind.  You might be surprised at how much of a difference it makes.
• Don’t Rush  Take the time to take it in.  The last thing you want to do is rush through a great experience.

So, is early morning the magic time in which only good stuff happens?  Probably not, but it might be.