Up With The Sun

Sunrise out my front door; (c) 1/20/12, Kathy Fannon

I'm the type of person who likes to be up with the sun, although this is easier for me to do in the summer than in the winter. I also realize that's probably backwards from most people, who would prefer to be up with the sun at 8:15 in the winter instead of the much earlier 6:05 in the summer.

So in the winter, I'm up long before the sun! Most days I'm up around 6:00 and if I wake up too much past that I feel like my day is getting away from me. Even on the weekend.

Twenty years ago I became a Mary Kay beauty consultant. As a new recruit I was given Mary Kay's biography to read to motivate and inspire me. It did! She was an amazing woman and I learned a lot from her book and from being a part of her fabulous company.

There were a few things I took away from my experience with Mary Kay Cosmetics that still effect my life today, even though I am no longer a consultant.

She taught us how to make a "Six Most Important Things To Do" list every day.

There are days when I'm overwhelmed with that has to be done, so I ask myself, "What are the top six things I need to do?" When accomplished, I feel like I actually did something rather than run around aimlessly. If there's time I can tackle more.

She taught us how to dress professionally, always wearing a skirt or dress to our appointments to show we mean business. (Of course our culture is a little more casual now.)

Not long after I learned this I went to a home party at a friend's house. I don't even remember what the products were, baskets and food or something. But I do remember the consultant wore pants, and she truly did seem unprofessional.

There were lots more things I learned, and her book is an interesting read. I highly recommend it for anybody, whether you're in the work world or a domestic artist like me! :)

I think one of the most important lessons she taught was getting up early in the morning.

She realized that if she rose early each day she could have an eight or nine day week! She even formed a "Five-O'Clock Club" of other women who were up and productive early in the morning. (Some people do better at night, and that's ok too.)

She spent the time planning her "Six Most Important Things" list, and accomplishing much without the interrption of a ringing phone. I imagine she would get lots of paperwork done, sending birthday cards to consultants, answering letters and so much more.

I've not always been an early riser (and certainly 5:00 is too early for me, but then again I don't run a business), but I do enjoy being up early to get a start on my day. I make some coffee and read the items in my Google Reader, watch a little ESPN, check Facebook and Twitter and get dressed and ready for the day. I like to be "ready to go" by 8:00 or 8:30 so I can be productive the rest of the day.

I like to have the time to get my household tasks done, run errands, write blog posts, read books and even bake on occasion. Then when the family starts arriving home in the afternoon I'm able to be available for them if they need me, the house is clean, the candles are lit and home is a peaceful place for them.

Are you an early riser? If not, do you think you'd like to try to add time to your week by getting up early? Even one day will give you extra time!

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