If someone were to ask you, "How are you?" and you responded honestly, the answer would probably be: "tired."
People, and Americans in particular, are notorious for not getting enough sleep. In fact, a Gallup poll found that a whopping 40% of people in the US don't get the doctor-recommended eight hours of sleep at night.
For most of us, getting up in the morning is a tough thing to do, and it definitely has to do with a lack of rest.
With that said, most of us also probably wish we were the type of people who woke up early and were actually productive in the morning. Have you ever wondered how people manage to do that?
An answer to this question has recently been presented, but not it not by a sleep expert. Instead, a former Navy SEAL — who knows a thing or two about being the early bird and getting the worm — shared his secret to waking up in the wee hours of the morning.
[H/T: Business Insider]
Thumbnail Image: Flickr / bark
Jocko Willink is a highly decorated Navy SEAL commander who definitely knows a thing or two about what he calls "getting after it."
Since his retirement, Jocko has written books, hosted a podcast, and opened his own consulting firm.
He also happens to wake up at 4:30 almost every morning.
Most of us are still fast asleep at that early hour and probably have little interest in rising before the sun.
But still, how does he do it?
Jocko outlines his secret, and more tips for productivity, in his most recent book, Discipline Equals Freedom: Field Manual.
Jocko's secret isn't a cup of coffee or some military-issued elixir.
He believes that most people get in their own way in the morning by thinking too hard.
Jocko tells Business Insider, "Don't think in the morning. That's a big mistake people make. They wake in the morning and start thinking."
It sounds overly simple, but how does one stop thinking in the morning?
Jocko explains that his remedy to thinking in the morning is setting his alarm at 4:30 a.m. and jumping out of bed immediately.
The former Navy SEAL then gets into the workout clothes that he laid out the night before and heads straight to the gym in his garage — all without second thought.
Most of us don't share Jocko's need or desire to get up quite that early, but the same rules apply regardless of what time you set your alarm.
The secret, as Jocko claims, is just having a routine and executing it without any thought.
He elaborated by saying, "Don't think. Just execute the plan. The plan is: the alarm clock goes off, you get up, you work out. Get some."
Whatever your "some" is, his expert advice is to get it without thinking at all. Sounds like a solid plan for those of us who can't think in the mornings anyway.
Make sure to SHARE this advice with someone you know who hates getting up in the morning.
