How I did it: I'm not sure that this is something I can recommend for others - it may or may not work for you. One night before I went to bed, I just imagined (or visualized) myself getting out of bed at 4.50AM, and the next day I was up at 4.50AM.

So, the key is clearly seeing this goal (as is any other) being accomplished. So, every night, before I go to bed, I tell myself when I want to wake up, and my subconscious mind does the rest... no alarm required!

Lessons & tips:

1. Tell yourself you will wake up by a particular time (don't just say "I want to wake up early")
2. Make use of an alarm if necessary, but DO NOT hit the snooze button. As soon as the alarm goes off, get out of bed. If you let your mind think that you need some more zs, you're done.
3. Make it a habit... that means getting up at the same time everyday (weekends too!) and everywhere (on vacations too!)
4. Hit bed early - do not watch TV past 10 PM.

Resources: This 2005 article that inspired me (like many of Steve's other posts) is still the most popular "How to be an early riser" post. http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2005/05/how-to-become-an-early-riser/

Here is my post from before... http://www.43things.com/entries/view/1797986

Apr 21, 2009, 04:09AM PDT | 1 comment | 2 cheers