Why it's Important to be Early
Let's get a jump on being early this holiday season! The benefits of being an early bird abound.
image: Kathy Buscher from Pixabay
The other week I texted one of my dear friends letting her know that I was mailing her children's Christmas presents as I knew we weren't getting together for our annual December gathering due to the pandemic.
She texted back with a sweet compliment letting me know how impressed she was with my "ability to always be prepared in advance for holidays." I responded back that it's my weird little superpower.
But this got me thinking about why I like to wake up early, arrive early, and get stuff done early. Personally, it just makes me feel more in control and ORGANIZED, but there's some science behind it.
A study done by Texas University revealed that students who were early risers were also top performers and got better grades.
This article from the Business Journals highlights that a technique for successful people is arriving early to meetings. The reasons for this include avoiding delays, choosing a good seat, getting noticed, having extra info that latecomers miss, and having time to test your equipment and check your notes.
According to this Harvard Business Review article, people who are early risers tend to be proactive and this proactivity means better job performance, higher career success, and a bigger salary.
Key benefits of waking up early are outlined in this Sleep Advisor article which includes; maintaining a healthier diet, more time to exercise, improved concentration, and enhanced productivity
So with this being said, I challenge you this holiday season to try your hand at being early. Here are some suggestions:
Send your holiday cards earlier than usual.
Finish your gift shopping early.
Mail out your packages in advance.
Wrap presents the week before Christmas and not the day before.
Bake your holiday cookies now and freeze them for later.
Arrive early to the (socially distant) holiday gathering and offer to help the host.
Get up earlier than usual one morning and listen quietly to carols while sipping your favorite hot beverage.
Set the table and ready the serving dishes a day in advance of the meal instead of as the food is coming out of the oven.
Arrive at your church prior to the service to enjoy the quiet and get your preferred seat.
Leave twice as early to get to the mall as you think you'll need and then (hopefully) you'll get a parking spot.
Here's to having a few moments of early this holiday season!
What will your early game look like these next few weeks?