From Night Owl to Morning Person by Kaelyn

From Night Owl to Morning Person by Kaelyn - January 2019 Scholarship Essay

At 6:45 am my alarm goes off and by 7:15 am I am out the door heading to the park for a run. This is how every Sunday begins for me. As a cross country runner, I am used to early morning wake up calls and multiple times a week I am at practice before the sun is up. When I began taking part in early morning runs, my first response was negative. I made comments like, “It is too early for me to be awake right now” or “I am definitely not a morning person.” Many times I struggled to get out of bed so I automatically figured I was a night owl. Over time though, I realized my initial thought that I was a night owl may be wrong.
As I continued to attend 6 am practices, I began to notice that I was in a better mood and more productive throughout the day when I woke up early. When I completed a run before 8 am, I discovered that I had more energy and motivation to get chores and tasks done throughout the day. Slowly, I began transforming into a morning person. I no longer hit the snooze button seven times before I got out of bed in the morning. My thoughts about the early wake ups changed from negative to positive. I enjoyed the benefits of waking up early so much I even started waking up early on days I did not have morning practice.
For me, waking up early allows me to start my day off doing something productive and by doing that I continue to have the drive to get things done for the rest of the day. I take pride in finishing projects I start and completing any chores or other things I need to get done. Rising early has given me the incentive to be more productive than I ever have been.
I have also noticed that when I get up early I am in a good mood and more positive throughout the day. To some people this may sound odd because usually waking up early correlates to crankiness and a negative attitude. This is not the case though- at least not for me. To me, it feels easier to maintain a good attitude, and I feel ready to take on the day when I wake up early.
Morning runs completely changed my perspective on rising early. They allowed me to reevaluate my thoughts on whether or not I was a night owl or a morning person. Before, I considered myself a night owl and dreaded getting out of bed anytime before 8 am. I now take pleasure in getting up and starting my day before the sun rises. By becoming a morning person, I am more productive and more positive in all situations. I enjoy being a morning person much more than I ever did being a night owl.