The other morning I woke up extra early. I made coffee, lit incense, and settled in to my office’s corner nook to write. It was silent other than for the songs of birds and clacking of the keyboard. The early morning solitude inspired a blog post, an encouraging one, about productive early mornings, success and strengthening our discipline. But by the time I got home in the evening after a long and tiring day, I wasn’t feeling it any more. The optimism and energy inspired by my peaceful morning had been released little by little as the day kicked me around like an inflatable ball. By the end of it I was deflated and useless. So here I am now, trying again, wondering what can be salvaged of that post written when the day was so young. I’ve realized something new since then.
They say the most successful people are those who rise early. They are generally more disciplined and enjoy a hefty head start on the day. Typically my favorite days are those on which I am able to rise early and enjoy a productive head start of writing, meditating, and exercising. Those mornings seem to set a tone for the day and it’s lovely knowing those tasks are out of the way. The load is lighter.
But I don’t think successful people practice the habit of rising early just because they enjoy getting things off their plates. Perhaps they’re so successful because they have the self-awareness to realize they’re at their best in the morning before they get beaten down by the day’s demands. They have the skill of foresight; they know the chances of doing x,y,z later is slim. People who are typically less successful procrastinate and plan to do things late into the night, but find themselves exhausted, not only from the day, but also from carrying the weight of their dread around throughout it.
In the post I wrote the other morning, I explained that I struggle to get up early most mornings because I lack discipline and willpower. This is true, but also an excuse. I want to wake up early most days. Early morning is my favorite time, watching the sun creep up slowly while the neighborhood sleeps. Being awake makes me feel as I’m balancing the scales, taking back a little of what rightfully belongs to me after having wasted so much time.
But lack of willpower and discipline is an excuse. Convincing myself I can and will do things later is an excuse, a bargain I make with myself when my eyes sting from sleep and I’m far too comfortable to consider getting up. Some days I make good on those bargains, but other days I am too deflated after unexpected turns of events. Days have a tendency to change on a whim, like the weather in coastal Florida. We don’t anticipate bad news, getting stuck late at work, invitations to happy hour, or other occurrences, but they happen more often than not. Perhaps it is wiser to plan for them and enjoy those productive early mornings so that we can roll with the punches, rather than get our air knocked out. Best case scenario we find ourselves with a rare evening of guilt-free television watching. Those are the best.
So maybe I’ve been looking at it the wrong way. The other morning I thought it was all about needing to strengthen my resolve to get up early. Maybe I just need to acknowledge the facts and stop kidding myself. Writing is extremely important to me. Exercising every day is equally important. Meditating, too. It’s time I face the facts and admit that if I do not achieve these things in the morning, their likelihood of occurring decreases as the day wears on. It’s not entirely about willpower and discipline, it’s about admitting that if these things are as important to me as I claim, then I’ll make them happen. This is, I think, what makes people successful. Not their discipline, but their ability to set priorities and face reality. And the reality is, if we can’t even get out of bed to work toward our number one goals, then who are we to claim they’re extremely important to us?
I didn’t get up early this morning and I was supposed to help my husband with a project tonight. In a fortunate turn of events, he decided I’d only get in the way, so here I am clacking away in the evening. Thankfully it provided me with a chance to contemplate this whole morning thing. I’ve never once regretted waking up early, working out, or writing. I have only ever regretted missing opportunities to do those things. An extra hour or two in bed instead of working on a goal is a pretty shitty trade off. Not much feels better than accomplishment, I don’t care how comfortable your bed may be.
I’m going to try again tomorrow with this new understanding of how valuable the morning is. Morning rituals provide us the opportunity to literally rise to the occasion, the occasion being this one and only life. I realize now I’ve been a fool to hit the snooze button… all I’ve done is snooze the realization of my goals.
Follow my blog with Bloglovin
