People who wake up at 5 am are NUTS
Do you ever notice really random things? Things that stick in your mind and you aren’t really sure how they got here or why your finite brain energy is so focused on that detail?
Why is this important to notice?
I recently had a friend come join our Toastmaster club. She had been watching my journey and growth over the years and wanted to come to get some life-changing benefits a community can bring to help her along the route of her career development. (Community is powerful read this story).
We were on a call I was walking her through the onboarding websites and answering some questions when scheduling came up. She wanted to join the club I was at but the timing was off for her. Her nightly routine is to shut screens down, journal, and in bed lights out by 9 pm, then up at 5 am…..(long pause).
I didn’t say it.
She continued on with explaining her routine and shared goals she wants to build with Toastmasters.
The pause caught me.
The pause made me laugh inside. On the outside, I just acknowledged the routine. If you are an early riser, and this is a fairly new routine for you since you decided to take control of your mornings, sharing this with fellow sleeper inners there is always a wave of shock when they hear the ungodly hours you are suggesting to be alive and functional at.
I know because I was that person who always said “WHAT! Why would you do that to yourself? I can’t imagine. I can hardly get my butt out of bed at 7 am let alone 5 am or earlier…” on and on the spiral of disbelief would go.
I know the *pause* because nothing else seems to matter after you mention the time. If you want people to hear anything else you have to say, you have to give them the space to play out the shock and come to terms with it. It seems to trigger people and they become self-reflective even if just for a moment.
Forget all the great things you do with that uninterrupted time. Let's not talk about how accomplished you feel before most people even start the day. Please don’t mention how amazing the rest of the day becomes not for what you did, but because you kept a promise to yourself.
Think about that, how many times do we break commitments to ourselves? Even small ones that don't seem to matter. Those add up and compound over time.
I will be the first to admit I had fallen away from that habit. My goals have been a little saggy lately and ambition has been too busy being seduced by procrastination to bother getting on board with my new plans. Sleep has put on a few pounds it feels like a hippo sitting on my chest as I try to pry my eyelids open and drag my dead-to-the-world carcass out of bed.
The bed is so sexy. Warm and inviting. Contrasted only by the relentless chatter going on in my head.
Sleep darling all those things will be there…later…just…close…your….eyes… lalalala….lallalaaaaa.
How do you expect to get your work done?…By snoozing? Who is going to finish those articles? Who is going to schedule appointments? That lunch for the kids won’t make itself. MMM you comfy there sleeping in your bed? Yeah I hope so because your dreams are out here in the freezing cold trying to warm themselves and stay ALIVE cause you aren’t stoking your fire, you’re not adding to the flame, but you’re comfortable. That nice. GET UP!!!
If I do happen to shut out the chatter and fall back into a blissful sleep, I regret it every time. Not because of the chatter but because now I am trying to stuff all my goals in less time.
If you are someone who works with other people (big or small) you know the shift from responsive to reactive mode, interruptions, and everything seems to go sideways, you spend the day putting out fires and running on everyone else's agenda. Productivity plummets and the work that was important gets pushed off.
I don’t know about you but I find myself feeling pretty cranky about it, angry with myself because I didn’t follow through. Then I get into snapping at people who don't deserve it. All this because I didn’t start with what was important to me. All the while you promise you’ll do it later, at night, before bed. Next thing you know you are waking up.
Why do we do this to ourselves?
A few tricks that have helped, (the last few days as I get back on routine) so more a reminder to myself but if it helps you BONUS.
The wake-up is the toughest by far. When you are setting your alarm it seems like plenty of time but as your body is in a deep restorative sleep you are disturbed before the best time and you feel groggy and hungover.
Quit scrolling an hour before bed.
Stick to a bedtime.
Put the things you need right where you will see them first thing because the person making promises the night before IS NOT the same person who has to get out of bed.
Jot down what to do, be it a small note, a message on your alarm, send yourself a text the night before but write down what you want to do with that time 1–3 things tops, if 1 gets done you are already winning. If you leave it up to your memory you might start working on something else and derail your efforts.
All the setup is great but the tough part is actually getting out of bed, when every cell in your body is protesting, pain is screaming at you and common sense starts pounding at your door.
Move. Just start moving.
I used to try and write when I got up but being in one place, I would always fall asleep. I often thought about working out but always had this idea it was too early for my body. But I did it 3 days in a row now. I started with my workout first thing and I have to remember to keep a notepad because the flood of insight I get is incredible. It was the perfect mix between mind flow and body flow.
My whole day was beautiful. So that's the goal this week. start at 5 am, workout, write, meal prep, etc...
You do you. These are things that helped me over the years. Do what works for you.
If you love the sound of an early day but 5 am just feels way too early try half an hour to an hour earlier and get accustomed to that. Go to bed half an hour earlier and put the phone down at least an hour before bed to help your brain wind down. These phones are a stimulant and get your mind running.
I hope that helps and take notice of when people get talking about the routine. Do you notice the pause?
Hi, I’m Leah spelt Ligia, thanks for reading!
I am an artist, a writer, and a speaker. I love to notice all the little things in life that teach us lessons worth paying attention to.
This is my journey into the world of following my creative dreams. I’m the author of “Living with Dirty Glasses” if you are ready to clean your life lenses and start creating the life of your dreams you can grab your downloadable life glasses cleaning book here.
Thank you for reading. This is my journey into the tumultuous world of following my creative dreams.
You’re welcome to join me for the ride (:
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