The early bird gets the worm. Early to bed, early to rise. We've heard these idioms and plenty of others growing up about the importance of waking early. More time to eat breakfast, work on a side project, or just not feel rushed on the way to work are all fantastic reasons we've wanted to get out of bed early. We've even experienced it a few times and it felt great! “I should get up this early every day,” we think. But we don't.
In college I assumed getting up early was so hard because of how late I went to bed. A pretty obvious and common reason. But even being out of school and in the working world for a few years, where the schedule is much more consistent, I still find getting out of bed at the time I set my alarm clock for to be incredibly difficult.
I've always found it so frustrating that there are essentially two of me. One who has all of the motivated feelings to wake up early the next morning when choosing an alarm time, and the other who can create an excuse for not waking up faster than it takes my arm to swat my phone.
I've wondered why alarm clock noises were so irritating. Sure, when they were first invented they were just bells, then digital alarm clocks had to use what was available with the technology. But today? Why do they have to be so jarring? On the other hand, I've tried waking up to soft music or classical music. But the problem with that is two-fold. First, it was so peaceful I would end up sleeping through it. And second, I would end up hating all of those songs.
I had a theory a few months ago: What if the reason I hit the snooze button so many times is because the alarm sound I'm using is just so repulsive I'll do anything to turn it off as fast as I can? And what if my motivated self in the evening could encourage my groggy morning self to remember why I wanted to get up early in the first place?
So I created some motivational ringtones that weren't irritating buzzes or music but passages that would remind me why I wanted to get up.
And wouldn't you know, it actually worked.
So, I created some more and had them recorded by two talented voice-over actors and offer them here free to share. Each one includes a bit of silence at the end so that it plays once, pauses for a few moments, and then plays again.
I hope they help! I look forward to hearing what you think.
“I never knew a man come to greatness or eminence who lay abed late in the morning.” – Jonathan Swift
“The breeze at dawn has secrets to tell you. Don’t go back to sleep.” – Rumi
“It is well to be up before daybreak, for such habits contribute to health, wealth, and wisdom.” – Aristotle
“Every day you regret not waking up sooner. No one has ever regretted giving themselves more time in the morning.”
“Lose an hour in the morning, and you will be hunting for it all day long.” – Richard Whately
“Morning is when the wick is lit. A flame ignited, the day delighted with heat and light, we start the fight for something more than before.” Jeb Dickerson
“The day Einstein wrote the theory of relativity, he first got himself out of bed.”
