Welcome to the Early to Rise Challenge! Throughout the month of March, I’m challenging myself and my readers to make the most of their mornings. So every week day morning at 9 a.m. EST, I’m posting a short Early to Rise post. I’ll share a few of my thoughts on the day’s passage from Early to Rise, tell you what time I got up that morning, and encourage you to leave a comment to tell us what time you got up and how you’re doing on the challenge.
Find an Accountability Partner
I’m a firm believer in what Andy encourages in Early to Rise today. If you want to be successful at anything in life, having an accountability partner will highly motivate you and keep you inspired when you don’t want to stick with it.
For this Early to Rise Challenge, you all have been my accountability partners. Truthfully, there have been a few days that I have would have loved to go back to bed, but knowing I had to post my alarm clock each morning was a very good motivation to get up and stay up. 🙂
So, thank you, each of you, for joining me in this challenge! Your tweets, Pinterest posts, comments, and blog posts have fired me up and blessed me.
Do you have an accountability partner? Tell us in the comments.
What Time Did You Get Up This Morning?
I got up at 6:01 a.m.
What time did you get up? Leave a comment and let us know!
Join in the Chatter!
Want to blog about this challenge? If you’re blogging through this challenge with me, be sure to leave your link to your direct post for today below. Plus, if you’d like to post your daily posts to the Early to Rise Group Board on my Pinterest page, just shoot me an email (moneysavingmom @ gmail dot com) and I’ll invite you.
Want to follow along on Twitter or Instagram? Each week day morning on my Facebook Page, my Twitter account, and my Instagram account, I’ll be posting a picture of my alarm clock as public accountability. I’d love to have you do the same or join in the discussion on Twitter and Instagram. Just follow hashtag #EarlytoRise to see what others are tweeting and Instagramming about this challenge!
Margaret @ Live Like No One Else says
I’ve been getting up at 4:30..simply because of my hubby’s new work schedule. I make him breakfast and lunch and then still have 1 hour of peace and quiet before the kids get up. It’s a great way to read and plan for the day. Best thing ever.
Brooke says
Got up at 6:54. I’m house and animal sitting so my morning was a little off not being at my own house but it was still a great peaceful morning!
I want to try to read this account with my other half but I need to get through this first! Reading Crystal’s posts have been so encouraging to me and have helped tremendously even on days when I have failed. Thank you for this challenge Crystal!
Carol@simple_catholic says
Up at 6:35 this morning. My accountability partners has been everyone here and knowing I have to write down what time I get up!
Now if only I had an accountability partner to help me get to bed on time, then it wouldn’t be such an effort to get up in the morning. 🙂
Anna says
I’m not sure exactly when I got out of bed this morning, but it was a little after 7. I seriously considered rolling over and getting out of bed but for some reason got up anyway. 🙂
I had planned to do some reading, but DH happened to wake up early too and we ended up spending some time talking instead which was great, especially since we’ve been kind of busy lately. 🙂
Anna says
Oops! I should have said rolling over and going back to bed not getting out of bed 🙂
Laurie @PassionatePennyPincher.com says
Twice a week I run with a friend and it makes it much easier to get out of bed when I just don’t want to! At least 2-3 other days I get up to go run or take a class at our local gym, and it’s so much more tempting to sleep in a few extra minutes when I know she won’t be at my door.
I don’t enjoy getting up and at it at between 4:45 and 5 (craziness really!) but when I get home and am able to have exercising and my shower done before our kids wake up (they’re up by 6:15), it makes me feel like I’ve started out ahead of the game. Waking up early adds so much to my day, and is so worth it!
Jillian Kay says
Does my cat count? He’s always happy to encourage me to get out of bed (so that I feed him earlier) 🙂
I had a good week this week — I stuck to my plan every day waking up somewhere between 4:30 and 6 depending on what I had going on.
Heather Gaither says
Wow, I cannot tell you how helpful having an accountability partner is. Especially if you’re not a morning person (ahem).
My accountability partner lives in a different time zone (6 hour difference), which has been helpful. (We’re skype friends.)
I get a cell phone “flash” (hangs up when I pick up to save on money) at 5 am to accompany my alarm. Then I have to skype in and we talk for a few minutes, which helps me fully wake up.
It’s a rare opportunity, to have a friend wake you when they are about to eat lunch, but it has been God’s sweet goodness to me, since getting up early is a necessity I’ve struggled with for years.
Crystal says
Love this!
Shelly says
I was up at 6:08 this morning.
I have found joining this challenge has really helped to keep me accountable too. I love to read the comments from others here. I also enjoy having the time to get my exercising in each day. For a long time I wanted to start exercising on a regular basis and now that I am getting up early I am able to fit it in each morning right after I get up.
Accountability is so important to keep you focused. It also give me that extra push to do what I want to do but could easily talk myself out of.
Melissa says
Up at 5:16am. I seem to get a few minutes more away from 5am as we progress from Monday to Friday. Still not too bad though. 🙂 As far as an accountability partner, my husband is my exercise partner and he certainly does help motivate me when I don’t exactly feel up to working out. It’s one thing to skip my own workout, but it seems much worse to skip out on our workout.
Crystal says
You are doing a GREAT job!
ClareC. says
Today is the first day of spring break for my kids and my husband. I was so looking forward to sleeping in a little today, and I guess technically I did, since I woke up 30 minutes past my usual wake-up time. (6:15 instead of 5:45.) It’s funny how your body just gets used to waking up early and will continue to do so, even on days when you don’t need to. Even so, I think I’m going to check-out of the last week of this challenge and just enjoy this time with wonderful family, whatever time I happen to awaken.
Abby @ Mother on a Mission says
I linked up a blog post about what this challenge has meant to me this week, because it would be a lot to type here.
Basically, though, getting up earlier has allowed me to begin my days with a quiet time of prayer and reading scripture. Despite what Crystal (and everyone else I know, including myself during past seasons of life) has to say about the positive effects of starting your day that way, I was still resisting. I was clinging to that time as “mine”.
Now I’m using the first thirty or so minutes after waking to pray and read the Bible. In just five days, it’s already making my whole day more smooth and purposeful.
Crystal says
Oh yay! I am so happy to hear this. Thank you for taking the time to share!
Abby @ Mother on a Mission says
Oops. Sorry to hijack your comment; mine wasn’t meant to be a reply.
I have to say I agree with your decision to cut yourself slack during spring break. I did the same thing last week, and it was surprisingly easy to get back in to the regular routine this week.
Enjoy your family time!
ClareC. says
Thank you, Abby! 🙂
Shannon says
I am back on track after a 1 day late wake set back this week and swiftly placed two of my feet on the floor at 5:01 a.m. this morning! This challenge and this day is a true blessing to me. My accountability partner has been you Crystal, fellow readers who post here, and my cairn terrier who is all too happy to not have to ‘hold it’ an extra hour 🙂
Crystal says
Good for you!
Sarah says
6:40am this morning.
I guess I have been my own accountability partner (or maybe I should say my own guilty conscience has been) in this challenge. I know that if I don’t get up by a certain time, I lose out on time with my son, time to help my husband get ready in a more timely fashion and time to get my morning to do list done. It certainly hasn’t been my husband…the one day I forgot to set my alarm he just quietly got up and got into the shower and left me there sleeping!
Crystal says
You’re doing such a great job!
Sandra says
You and your readers are my Accountability Partners for I don’t know anyone who gets up as early as I do!
Originally, when I decided to join the rest of you in getting up earlier, I thought I would be checking off a few more things from my never ending list of things to do. I’ve come to find an unexpected outcome; I’m choosing to spend my time in the morning taking better care of myself. After worship, I make a decent breakfast, grab a cup of coffee, turn on talk radio and just enjoy. I get in 30 minutes on the exercise bike, and afterwards, I spend my time getting ready for work. But, I’m no longer in a hurry for I’ve decided it’s time for me to do all the things I know I should be doing for good health and appearance. I make certain to take my vitamins, I spend as long as I want in the shower (and that alone is a treat!), and I have developed a routine of paying attention to the details. My make-up and nails are always done, my outfit for the day is no longer just something I throw on, but something I have thought out. I am well rested and I feel good. I know I could be accomplishing much more on the never ending list, but I’ve found paying attention to me if far more important than anything on the list.
Crystal says
Oh how I loved this comment. So excited for you!
Laura says
Yay you! This comment alone might nudge me to try getting up earlier as I seem to never make the time to do those things (and I know I should!). Thank you for sharing this with us :).
Sandra says
My pleasure. Thanks for your support. Good to hear you too, are considering time for yourself. I think so many women put things off for themselves because of all they do for others. You definitely deserve some of your own attention.
Paula says
Happy for you too! Thanks for sharing about how getting up early has impacted you.
Victoria says
Accountability partners work for so many areas of life. I like to pick two, one who is struggling just as much as I am on the area I want to work on, and one who has found success in the area I want to work on. I find having this group of 3 cords to make for a strong group. The one with experience gives the other 2 words of wisdom, and the 2 that are reaching to succeed get the strength of each other in the mud pit of life as they muddle their way through to success.
Crystal says
Such excellent words of advice!
Anna says
I love that idea! Very cool! 🙂