The monthly experiment for February 2013 is to wake up early.

“It is well to be up before daybreak, for such habits contribute to health, wealth, and wisdom.” – Aristotle

Here at the Monthly Experiments Project, we take on a new personal experiment every month. Sometimes we do it for the sake of fun and curiosity. Sometimes we do it to intentionally create a new habit. This month’s experiment falls somewhere in the middle.

Why Early?

When I was a kid, I loved getting up early and going for a run or just reading a book. I liked the stillness and the quiet of an early morning. I still do.

As I got older (and became an entrepreneur), I became a bit of a night owl. Staying up late, partying or working late, sometimes all night long became the norm for me. I felt like I was more productive and creative late at night.

Over the past year, I’ve been getting up a little earlier, and I noticed a pattern that led me to want to do this experiment.

On the days I get up early, I feel better and get more done. 

So, I’m going to give it a try for a month, and of course you’re invited to join me.

Tell Me You’re In!

“I’m in! I’m going to #WakeUpEarly with @JohnMuldoon this month.” – Click To Tweet

Resources

This post by Leo Babauta has some great tips for becoming an early riser.

I’m also going to be tracking this experiment by using the fabulous Lift app. Lift is a free app that helps you track your habits, and you can get community support.

I’ve created a habit on Lift called “Wake Up Early – MonthlyExperiments”.

You can download the app for free, and join me in that habit. When you go to add your habit, you’ll see there are a few “Wake Up Early” habits on there. You want to choose the one that says MonthlyExperiments. See the screenshot on the left.

Using Lift in this way is an experiment for me, and I think it’ll be better if we have more people joining us. We can keep each other accountable that way. We’ll see how it goes.