One Powerful Tip for Starting your Day with Purpose
OK, people…this is a “look in the mirror” post. I’m just warning you now. Maybe you don’t want to read on…The topic is our alarm clock, and specifically our relationship with that wonderful, or dreadful, little imp called the SNOOZE BUTTON. What kind of snoozer are you?
There are basically 4 kinds of people, in relation to the alarm clock:
- No Alarm Clock Needed: You have trained yourself to wakeup at the proper time, or that time is just natural for your body (or maybe you literally don’t have anything to do, but I’m not talking about you here).
- Jump Out At First Ring: Alarm goes, and SNAP!…out of bed.
- Single Snoozer: The alarm rings, you open your eyes and purposefully press the snooze bar, and then either just before it goes off or just as its going off, you’re out of bed. Basically, the 1-snooze cycle is really just a part of the wakeup cycle.
- Snooze till you Lose: The alarm rings, you growl, or ignore it completely. You bang the snooze bar without so much as opening your eyes (and likely knock some stuff off the bedside stand). What seems like seconds later, it goes again…BAM! And this continues for 3…4 or who knows how many cycles. Then when you actually get up, you’re very groggy and really annoyed that you are indeed up. And somehow, it’s the all the alarm clock’s fault.
Be a Category 1-3
I have been (and likely we all have been) at one time or another each one of these people. Over my life, I have had many different kinds of schedules due to school, work, infants, whatever. Nothing different than any of you. Here is what I’ve found, both personally, and from the achievers from which I am learning:
In order to start your day off on the right foot, and set yourself on the path to succeed for the day, you’ve got be in category 1-3. You do NOT want to be a “Snooze till you Lose-r”.
And here’s why:
If you’ve read my post on How to Have a Successful Day, you’ll see that I am a believer in starting your day intentionally. If you are somebody who falls into one of the first 3 categories, you are starting your day intentionally. Not only that, but you are starting it in the right mindset, and that mindset is: “OK…bring it on!”, which is the proper attitude to make it happen, whatever IT is. If you are stuck in category 4, even after you’ve gotten out of bed, your mind is not awake, nor is it ready for the day, nor is it in any position to help you succeed.
I’m not talking about, nor minimizing the need for your morning coffee or tea or whatever rituals you have that get you setup for the day. Those are likely important also, as long as they are also healthy and pointing towards success. If you are stuck in category 4, your other morning rituals are simply getting your mind into a state that it should ALREADY BE IN by the time you get there. If you like to sit with some coffee and contemplate the day, that’s fine, and could be helpful. BUT…if you started out of bed intentionally, that coffee time is no longer NECESSARY to get your mind straight (maybe still necessary to get you physically ready), and now that coffee time turns into a time when you really are making progress (i.e., gratitudes, affirmations, dreaming/vision imagination, making your lists, etc).
Your Charge for the Week
So here is your charge, you category 4-ers…start this very next monday and intentionally put yourself into one of the first 3 categories. Do it all week, and then evaluate how your week went, and how you felt at the beginning of the days at the END of the week. I think you’ll be glad you did.
If you got any value out of this, please share!
Have a great day!
