I picked up the above book from the Red Cross shop for $1
and enjoyed it immensely. Published in
1951 ‘How I Raised myself from Failure to Success in Selling’ by Frank Bettger
is, as you could tell from the title, a book on sales. I read it because I own a retail store, but
also because I love reading old-fashioned, slightly cheesy, seemingly folksy books like this and they are a
good positive inspiration for me about life in general.
One idea I took from it was ‘The Six O’clock Club’. The author heard that many successful people
including Benjamin Franklin considered themselves ‘members’. How does one join you ask? One rises every day at 6am, including
weekends and days off. I have often
heard we give ourselves a form of jet-lag by rising early to go to work but
sleeping in a little on our days off.
Even though it feels wonderfully luxurious at the time it’s
going against our bodies. By getting up
early even on days off I feel so refreshed, have more time to do things and
sleep well at night. I make sure my
light is off by 10pm, so I get eight hours – but even if I don’t get into bed until
10.30 or 10.45 I will get up at 6am, just make sure I’m in bed early the
following night.
The times I have slept way past my alarm I feel quite
sluggish. And what does one do at
6am? My favourite thing to do is make a
big cup of hot tea and read. I read in
bed in the winter with the lamp on, either a book or some magazine articles I
have been saving up, or I get out the laptop and read blogs or the news.
In the summer I do the same things but at the dining table,
or I might potter in my sewing area.
I think Frank Bettger and Benjamin Franklin probably used
their time for more worthy pursuits – like planning their day or getting a
headstart on work.
The key to a good day for me is plenty of time in the
morning to get ready. Before I leave for
work I like to have a minimum of 1.5 hours to shower, breakfast and dress. I can squeeze it into less but why would I
want to? If I can stretch it out to two
hours I’m in heaven.
Giving myself time to have a leisurely and relaxing start
to my day is the best reason to get up
at 6 o’clock, and I don’t find it a hardship at all!
What time do you get up in the mornings? Do you like a sleep-in or do you rise at the
same time every day?
I'm up early in the brighter months but not much before 7am during these winter days. As the length of the daylight increases I will start getting up early again.
ReplyDeleteI write Journal pages, do some Yoga stretches and plan my day.
The older I get the more I dislike sleeping in, it makes me sluggish too.
I like to have a 40 - 60 minute walk each morning before breakfast, so during our very long, very hot summers, I do get up around dawn, otherwise it is too hot to walk. I do quite enjoy it, but I feel groggy and slightly queasy all day if I have to get up before 7:00 am. I am at my best waking at around 8:00 am, but I am a night owl and I think and work best after about 9:00 at night.
ReplyDeleteI am definitely a "lark," waking naturally about 5:00 a.m. I love to have time for two cups of coffee, a load of laundry, and computer time before getting ready for work. I also get up that early on weekends -- just can't sleep in!
ReplyDeleteYou might enjoy Laura Vanderkam's books- she writes about time management and one of her books is actually about how to make your mornings better. It's called What the Most Successful People do Before Breakfast.
ReplyDeletehttp://lauravanderkam.com/
I normally get up at 6 because I have to catch a bus just after 7, but I'm trying to reset my waking time so I'm not so time-crunched in the morning.
Even though I don't work, I still wake at about six when I am at home. I like to turn the light off at 10. If I go out later, I find that I am tired.
ReplyDeleteI think regularly getting up relatively early is one of the basic foundations for a successful life. For me, that is not an overstatement. I was a fulltime homemaker and stay-at-home mom for many years and getting up before the rest of the family got going made a huge difference in my day. When I returned to working an outside job, getting up early with plenty of time to get my day off to a good start was essential to my well being. In spite of this, sometimes I let my schedule get off track and sleep later than I need to and the rest of my day will feel "off".
ReplyDeleteAurora, thanks for the author mention. I've not come across her before but will look her up.
ReplyDeleteI'm actually a member. Even though I have seriously considered doing it in order to live a chic life, the main reason I get up early and about the same time everyday is to help with my insomnia. That way, I figure my body knows what to do when.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a morning person at all, but I am a coffee person, so I am pretty patient with myself and allow myself time to drink two cups of espresso and for the caffeine to kick me into gear a bit! On the weekends, I could possibly walk to the store around 9, a time where it is not crowded. I also might bake a breakfast item like 6 or 12 muffins or 8 chocolate-stuffed crescent rolls one weekend morning, so that I can eat them over the next week or two, freezing most, of course.
I will sleep in and stay in my pajamas all day about one day a year, which is not usually planned.
I love your series! Have been following it daily.
Hello Fiona, yes I am a member also! always have been and never could sleep in even as a teenager! I like to be up before the rest of the family, do some reading or catching up on my blogs whilst sipping a lovely cup of tea. once everyone is off to work and school, I then have my breakfast of porridge with strawberries leisurely and no rushed as everyone has gone! its just me and my toddler then to start the morning. Even on weekends I get up early and read the papers and have my tea and watch the sunrise! Cathyxx PS. Enjoying the blog immensely!
ReplyDelete