I am someone who wakes up early. “Early” is subjective, but on weekdays I wake up at 5:30 a.m. to work out, do yoga, run, or meditate—sometimes a combination of these. On weekends, I usually wake up between 6:00 and 7:00 a.m.

Most days, my wife and kids are still sleeping for at least another hour. This is my alone time—my me time. It’s when I get personal work done, when no one interrupts me, and I can sit with my thoughts in complete quiet. It’s liberating to have time to myself. To do what I want. To simply be me.

I love having this time to get to know myself. It sets the tone for the entire day. By the time everyone else wakes up, I already feel accomplished. Because of that, the rest of the day feels lighter and less stressful—I’ve already invested in myself.

I notice the difference in how I show up for my family. I have more patience with my wife and kids. I’m more loving, more energized, and more present. I appreciate the smaller things in life: my kids being silly, my wife’s smile, the smell of coffee or dinner, and the first snowfall.

I wake up early and work on myself because it works for me. I’ve tried finding personal time at other points in the day, but I wasn’t consistent. While I could carve out an hour or two in the afternoon or evening, I would feel guilty not helping with the kids. That guilt would follow me into my personal time and take away from its purpose.

So I do what works best for me—and that is waking up early.

Take care.