In the past year or so I’ve become a morning person, which is odd considering I’ve never been one to wake up before seven and be able to function for the greater part of the day. But once I made the decision to go to bed early, and get my lazy butt out the bed in the mornings, my entire routine changed - for the better.

I’m a big procrastinator. But I finally realized that procrastination was an open invitation for stress. I’ll admit, I work best under pressure - but it’s not fun. And honestly, I was tired of always feeling rushed, and there was always some task lodged in the back of my mind. I can’t explain it, but once I made the decision to become an early riser, everything fell into place. And once everything on my checklist was out the way…I had the rest of the day to do whatever.

Think you might work best in the morning, consider three ways to become a morning person.

• Go to bed early: It doesn’t get more obvious than this. If you want to get up early, you’ve got to go to sleep early. You can’t go to bed at 2 a.m. and expect to feel refreshed and ready to work at 7 a.m.

• Turn off the television: I hate sleeping in complete silence, and I have a bad habit of falling asleep with the television on. I used to argue that the television helped me fall asleep faster. But background noise can actually interrupt sleep, and it takes longer for the brain to unwind and fall into a deep slumber. Besides, with the television on, you’re more likely to stay up watching your favorite late night programs.

• Open the blinds: I know, sleeping with the blinds or curtains open is a little creepy. Imagine waking up to someone staring at you through the window - talk about traumatizing. But if you sleep on the second floor, it’s worth a try. The morning sunlight causes your internal clock to kick in, and you’ll want to get up - even if it’s just to close the shades and block the brightness.