One day over the summer I had to catch a 9 a.m. flight. Since I live about 20 minutes from the airport, I had to wake up around 7 a.m. and drag myself out of bed in order to make it in time. At first I was dreading this because that meant I wouldn't get in my morning workout and a nice breakfast. My day was basically ruined. As it got closer, however, I started to see this as an advantage. I decided to wake up early to fit in everything I wanted to do. After all, who said waking up early has to stop me from doing what I love?!

When the day finally rolled around, I woke up bright and early at 5:30 a.m., threw on my running shoes, got my water bottle and breakfast ready to go, and headed for the car to get to the 6 a.m. CrossFit class. As I left my apartment, however, I caught a glimpse of the sun peeking into the sky. Thrilled at the idea of watching the sunrise, I ran to the closest elevator and headed straight for the roof of my apartment. From there, I watched the sunrise and the city wake up, and it was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.

There's something to be said about people who willingly get up with the sun to start their day bright and early. While some people think getting up at 6:45 or 7 just to be up is absolutely crazy, it actually has its benefits.

1. Waking up early gives you time to yourself

When you're a busy person with a million things to do in one day, it's easy to lose sight of spending time with yourself. If you have 15 minutes between when you wake up and when you walk out the door, you're giving up valuable time that can be spent on just you. Read a book, watch your favorite show, drink a cup of tea, listen to music, take a walk. By waking up just an hour early, that's one more hour you have to yourself, and that can be invaluable time.

2. Waking up early makes you more productive

Waking up at 6 or 7 in the morning gives you more time, motivation, and excitement to accomplish more throughout the day. I always joke and say that when I wake up later than 10 a.m., I might as well just go to bed because my whole day feels wasted. Waking up early allows you to take the time to plan your day so that you can be at your most productive. You'll now have time for breaks, naps, Netflix, friends – anything you want – because you have the time to fit in all the productive, and unproductive activities you want to do.

3. You become more self-disciplined

It takes discipline to get yourself to wake up at the crack of dawn. There's nothing better than that extra 15 minutes of sleep, except for the satisfaction that comes from knowing you got yourself up to start your day. In practicing this self-discipline, you're teaching yourself to become more productive and how to make things happen for yourself.

4. You experience things other people don't

There's something amazing about waking up when nobody else is awake. The sky is quiet, the streets are quiet, everything is quiet, and you get to see that. Waking up at 10 or 11 a.m. is waking up to a busy and bright world where you are on the go from the start. And that is okay, if that's what you prefer. However, when you wake up early and you experience the stillness of the world and get to watch everything transition from the quiet and serene stillness to the hustle and bustle of everyday life, you really experience something amazing. It's a nice reminder that everything has its moments of stillness that turns into incredible productivity, and waking up early allows you to become a part of that process.