I spent about four decades as a night person. It seems to be the default for me. Most notable were how I felt energized, yet focused, late at night, and how a tired feeling didn’t occur until about 2AM. While maybe tied to the long-standing late-night practices more than any internal rhythms, I enjoy the quiet and solitude of night.
But three years ago I launched a business which required working early mornings or overnight. I didn’t want to work overnight because that’s a taxing setup for me and, more significantly, I don’t want a schedule so different from the rest of the world—it makes socializing more difficult and can cause inconveniences in general living that I didn’t want to regularly face.
After three years getting up daily anywhere from 4–7AM with maybe 8 days off in that time, I’m quite fond of having to be up early. No, it still doesn’t feel normal to my body, but the discipline to put myself to sleep is helped quite a bit by the motivation that comes from being a business owner. In my setup, I’m at work 30 minutes after I wake up. My work isn’t physically intense, but I’m constantly in motion. I am always on my feet, moving around often (never standing still for more than a minute or two), and regularly working with my arms and hands.
I was never someone who to explicitly did workouts, not to mention anything particularly active first thing in the morning, yet I’ve found the activity in my work helps my body and my mind. Despite the lack of off days, I have to be cognitively busy throughout my days, and the constant physical motion has been great for me, both in terms of how my body feels and how it seems to benefit my head (much like how taking a walk helps most people keep a clearer head).
Coincidentally, I happened to quit caffeinated coffee about a year before starting this business, and that has continued. I only drink decaf coffee and water when I’m working. I live at a high altitude, so skipping caffeine—which never had any obvious stimulant effects for me—has helped me stay hydrated.
Definitely, I appreciate being around for all the sunlight in each day. It’s especially welcome in the winter months. I live in a place with four distinct seasons, but sunshine is present throughout the year, so getting all of it even on the short days has been great. All told, rarely missing a minute of daylight has been invigorating and calming at the same time.
With the hours I have to keep, this schedule has worked great. Work is handled at the hours the business requires and that doesn’t come at any noteworthy cost to personal opportunities. I’m old enough that friends may do something until late at night, but they start early enough that I can participate amply before having to head home. I’d be able to cheat more and stay out late if my business didn’t operate 363 days a year, but my lack of off days means I have to be mindful of pacing myself through the relentlessness. Maybe if the business grows enough that I have ample staff I’ll get to adjust my schedule.
For me, though, my inclination is still toward the night, but forcing myself into mornings has been great. I needed to start a business to find the necessary discipline to make the switch, so I don’t know if the methods to my conversion are worthwhile for many. But I look forward to mornings and enjoy them every day, difficult as it still is for me to wake up. But once I’m up…