Why I stopped setting an alarm.

I stopped setting an alarm to wake up in the morning. Since going to fully remote work this is one the best things I’ve done for my productivity, as well as my physical and mental health. Because I don’t have to get kids ready, and I don’t have a morning commute anymore, I’m not worried about getting out of the house before rush hour. I doubt this would have worked when I had school aged children, so I apologize to all the working parents out there.

How do I make sure I don’t sleep too late, so that I have time to work out and not be rushed in the morning? I started going to bed earlier. My wife and I agreed that, on work nights, we’d turn off the TV by 8:00 pm. (I’ve found this also significantly cuts down on the temptation to snack after dinner.) We then clean up, do whatever else we have to do, then get ready for bed and read until we’re tired. We’re in bed by 10:00 pm most nights. I’ve always been one of these people that never needs more than 6 or 7 hours of sleep. My wife needs 8 or 9 hours. So this works well for us. I usually wake up at around 5:00 am, sometimes I wake up at 4:30, sometimes I sleep in until 6:30. I let my body decide. Growing up I was always a night owl, so this change took a lot of effort, but it’s way better. 

After I wake up, I work out for a couple of hours, get ready, feed the dog, eat breakfast, check my feeds, and am usually out to my home office by 8:00 am. Something I’d done for the last decade is block of my work schedule until 10:00 am. These two hours in the morning are my most productive part of my day. I’ve found that an early start without being rushed and being well rested, sets the tone for the rest of the day.