As you may know, I’m a huge fan of challenges. I used to be afraid of challenges because, deep down, I wasn’t nearly as confident as I thought I was. I don’t quite remember when I started falling in love with challenges, but I know it didn’t happen overnight.

I Used to Start Small

My challenges were never anything huge in the beginning. When I first decided to build a habit of staying active, for example, I challenged myself to work out for 20 minutes a day for five days. Anything counted: walking around, doing jumping jacks, or following an exercise video.

Five days became ten, then twenty, then thirty. Now, I work out almost every day, and it’s become part of my lifestyle. I don’t feel like I have to push myself to exercise anymore. Staying active has simply become part of my routine, and it feels effortless.

So when I decided that I really wanted to become a morning person and start my days without the usual rush, I tried the same approach: I challenged myself. I’ve tried so many different methods to build the habit of getting up early. Some worked for a while, and some didn’t. Until this year.

Then I Made 5:30 a.m. a Rule

As part of my customized 75 Hard challenge, I made getting up at 5:30 a.m. one of my daily rules. And something magical happened: I completed the challenge, and I kept waking up at 5:30 a.m. even after it was over.

No struggling. No bad temper. No hitting snooze ten times. It just felt natural, almost as if I’d been getting up that early my whole life. I’d failed at 75 Hard before, and I’d failed at getting up early more times than I could count. But after completing this 75-day challenge earlier this year, I felt like something had finally clicked.

And I was so excited to share what happened.

First, I Became Healthier

I used to have frequent skin allergies and inflammation. According to my annual health report, my health had improved significantly. Earlier this year, when I went to the hospital for a routine checkup, even the doctor was surprised. She told me, “You’ve been taking great care of yourself. I’ve seen a lot of improvement in your health data.” I was so happy to hear that.

To be honest, I’ve always believed that health is the most important asset we have. Maybe it’s even the only thing that truly holds lasting value. I thought I already had a pretty healthy lifestyle. I exercised a lot and ate relatively well. But before the 75-day challenge, I was still living like many young people in a big city: staying up late, sleeping too little, and waking up in a rush to get out the door for work.

Once I started waking up at 5:30 every morning, I gradually developed a habit of going to bed before 10. And now my body seems to know it, too. Around 10 p.m., I can almost feel my body shutting down on its own. It knows it’s time for bed.

Second, I Started Doing More

Waking up early also gave me something I didn’t expect: more time to do the things I’ve always wanted to try. I’ve always wanted to learn Japanese, so lately I’ve been spending 20 minutes every morning learning the basics. It felt so fulfilling to finally get past the hurdle of memorizing hiragana and katakana.

It’s only 20 minutes a day, but somehow, those 20 minutes feel completely different when I have them before the rest of the world wakes up. And it’s not just Japanese. I read, I write, I exercise, and I think. I finally have time for the things that used to stay on my “one day” list.

The Biggest Change Is Hard to Explain

There have been so many changes, actually. I can’t quite put my finger on exactly what changed, but I can feel it. I’m much, much happier than I used to be when I wasn’t waking up early, and I honestly can’t remember the last time I stayed up late because I was caught up in my own thoughts or emotions. I haven’t had one of those late-night emotional spirals in a long time.

I think that’s probably the biggest change of all. Getting up at 5:30 a.m. didn’t magically make my life perfect. It simply gave me a different relationship with my time. I have more time in the morning, but more importantly, I feel like I’m more in control of my day. Maybe that’s what I needed all along.

Would I Recommend It?

If you’ve always wanted to become an early riser, I’d say: give it a try. You don’t have to start at 5:30 a.m., and you don’t even have to commit to 75 days.

Start small. Make it a challenge. Give yourself enough time to get past the uncomfortable part. Because sometimes, the hardest part isn’t waking up early. It’s doing it long enough for it to stop feeling hard.

Good luck!

If you’re someone like me who loves reading books to build better habits and make meaningful changes in life, you’re welcome to check out my Amazon collection of books about getting up early. I hope you’ll find something that inspires you to start your own journey.