Tuesday, March 4, 2014

How To Get Out Of Bed In The Morning

     It snowed this morning. Not much. Maybe less than an inch. It was the type of snow that doesn't even get mentioned in the forecast around here. But it makes things a little slick. Not a big deal.

     I was walking past a quick lube and the approach up to the doors where the cars enter to get oil changes was on an incline. There was a car there, spinning its wheels, trying to get into the bay (must have been from out of state).  I paused and watched for a while. The car just sat there, wheels spinning. There was no chance it was ever going to get into the bay. Not like that. Another guy walking the other direction on the street I was on, just looked at me and smiled, shaking his head. We were both thinking the same thing. Just back up and get some momentum and the car will easily make it into the bay.

     I need momentum everyday.  I need momentum to get out of bed. I need it to exercise in the morning. I need it to make it to work on time. I need it to start using my brain before 1 in the afternoon.  I need it to write this blog. I need it to create music. There are a number of things I try to do everyday to build up the momentum I need to make each day a success.

     It all starts the night before the next morning. I try to go to bed so that I get at least 8 hours of sleep before I have to get up in the morning. I want to get up by 7:45 am so this means I need to be in bed by about 11:30 each night. I have been keeping track for the past ten nights. I only managed this twice.  Two other nights was close. But I do not fall asleep immediately so this means I had no chance at 8 hours of sleep. That is bad. I need to do better.

     One thing that has helped the past ten nights is a new app I am using called Sleep Cycle. It uses the gyroscope in my iPhone to measure my sleep cycles via my movements during the night. It then wakes me up slowly during a time when I am not in a deep sleep. It has been working great. Now when I awake, I am ready to get out of bed which was not always the case in the past. Momentum.

     I read something every morning before I get out of bed. Sometimes it is my twitter feed from overnight, or something from Facebook, or a blog post from an email. I try to get my mind thinking and comprehending right away.  I try to avoid something that is going to get me agitated. I look for things that are interesting or humorous. Now I have something to think about as I begin my day getting ready for work.  Momentum.

     I eat breakfast every morning. This gets my metabolism going and gives me a boost of energy just when I need it at work. It also is a nice quiet time to collect my thoughts.this is one meal where it does not matter if you are hungry or not. This is a meal your body needs. If you are trying to be healthy or lose weight, breakfast is a must. It gets my body moving on the inside, providing energy for my body on the outside and certainly doesn't hurt in jump starting my brain.  Momentum.

     And I always stop by and talk with the girls at the front desk, even before I clock in. Whether I feel like talking or not. Sometimes it is a full conversation, sometimes it is little more than saying good morning but I always do it. They are the first people I speak with every day. I want to have formed words with my brain and mouth before I speak with a client for the first time in the day. Plus, they are interesting people and it is nice speaking with them. Once I get to my desk, every part of my being has been activated and I am ready to start the day. Momentum.

     I am ready to help customers. I am ready to solve problems. I am ready to write. I am ready to listen. I am ready to learn. I am ready to have a successful day.

      Not that long ago I sat and spun my wheels. I didn't get enough sleep. I didn't want to get out of bed. I was tired, moody, non-functioning throughout most of the morning, hungry, frustrated, spinning.  Then one day...over a series of many days actually, I backed up, surveyed the situation, and began to make adjustments to provide me the momentum I needed to make it up that incline every morning. I am 45 years old. It is never too early or too late to back up and gain some momentum in your life.

     And it is never too late to add to the ways you gain that momentum. I am constantly searching for new ways to kick start my day, or my diet, or my exercise, or my Faith, my disciplines, my music, my writing, my life. It is never too late to add to the places you need momentum. Sometimes we look at a task or a goal and we think there is no way to achieve it. Maybe we have tried and failed. We need momentum. Focus on the things that will give you momentum and before you know it, the thing you thought was unattainable will be a success in your rear view mirror.

     As I stood there in the snow, wondering when this car was going to begin sliding backwards down into the street, common sense finally filtered through the frosted mind of the driver and he backed down the incline, into the street. Then he moved methodically and determinedly forward at a steady pace. He drove up the incline and right into the bay as if there were no snow at all.

 It is amazing what a little momentum will do.



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