There is a lot of buzz about the benefits of waking up early and becoming a morning person, but it's not for everyone. In this video, I share a few key tips on how to wake up earlier — if that's something you want to do! This blog post provides an overall framework if you want to make this change. I don't discuss specific tactics like putting your alarm clock in a different room, drinking lots of water before going to bed, etc., because these tactics vary from person to person. If you follow the recommendations outlined below, you'll gradually find the specific tactics that work for you through experimentation.

1. Know your why. Have a good understanding of why you want to wake up early and how you personally feel when you wake up early. This is your "north star" for waking up early and will keep you motivated.

2. Don't sacrifice sleep. The key to waking up early is going to bed early enough so that you get your ideal number of sleep hours. Figure out how many hours of sleep you need and work backward from your ideal wake time to determine your appropriate bedtime. Sleep is non-negotiable as there is all kinds of research about the dangers of not getting enough sleep or accumulating too much sleep debt.

3. Create a morning routine that you love. This will provide you with the daily incentive to get up as soon as your alarm goes off. I hated waking up when I was working full-time -- until I gradually carved out time to do some of the things I wanted to do before I had to leave for work. I started waking up earlier and earlier because I looked forward to this time for myself.

4. Be kind to yourself. If you truly want to wake up earlier and become a morning person, don't give up! Be gentle with yourself and keep experimenting until you find what works for you. Don't get down on yourself if you try specific tactics that don't work -- everyone is different and you have to find the combination of tactics that "click" for you. Also keep in mind that people change over time, so what worked for you in the past may not work now. It's ok to take baby steps and get there gradually.