When I tell people that I am a morning person, they often look at me as though I have five heads. I then go on to tell them that I have class every day beginning at 8:30 a.m., and set my alarm each morning for 6 am, and they look at me in shock, as though I have just told them a horror story.

Yes, at first it might sound rather aggressive, but to me, being up before, basically the rest of the world, is an exhilarating feeling. However, I’m not going to lie to you and tell you that I hop out of bed every morning at 6 am, the minute my alarm goes off, with a big smile on my face ready to tackle the day. Some days, yes that is the case, but of course, there are always some days where I continue to hit snooze, with absolutely no motivation to get out of bed.

A few months ago, I watched a Ted Talk by Mel Robbins discussing “The 5 Second Rule.” Ever since this very day, I feel as though my life has really never been the same. To give a brief overview, this rule is essentially counting down from five to one and, once you get to one, you decide to get motivated, push out a negative thought, or in my case, to get out of bed.

When I am having a day where I am just tired and unwilling to get out of bed, I immediately start counting down from five and then will actually force myself to get out of bed. It sounds silly, but I promise it really does work. For me, the hardest part of waking up early has always been just finding the motivation to actually get up, and this rule is something that I feel has really cured me of that.

Now you might wonder what the actual point of me waking up at 6 am every day really is. For me personally, I find that I have the most energy and motivation in the mornings. I genuinely enjoy experiencing the feeling that I am awake before most people and getting a head start to my day. I also have found that when I am productive in the mornings, this feeling tends to carry me through the rest of the day, motivating me to accomplish everything that I set out to do for that particular day.

Waking up early has also allowed me to be able to plan out my day, set out everything I know I have to do, and most importantly, to eat a substantial breakfast each morning. I find that days when I skip breakfast, I always feel unenergized and unmotivated, which is why I ensure that I always eat before class in the mornings.

Although waking up early is a concept that has always been looked upon as unfavorable and frankly horrifying, it is something that has completely changed my life. Waking up early is something that I believe has also played a key role in my success throughout my freshman year of college. Try it before you knock it.