I am an early bird. I go to bed early and wake up early. I love the quiet of the early morning hours but come 8:30-9:00pm I am ready for bed and sleep. I love to nap and those who know me well know not to call me on a Saturday or Sunday between 1-3pm. I love sleep. My body tells me when it needs sleep and I listen.
I have also had insomnia in my life where I would be wide awake in the middle of the night because my mind would go in all different directions. Then there were the months after my children were born where all I wanted to do was sleep at 2am and 4am but had other priorities.
Flash forward to this morning:
4:05am: I lay there and stare at my alarm clock, which isn’t set to go off for almost another hour.Sigh, I lay there. I toss and turn. I scrunch my pillow and roll over – turning away from the clock. 20 minutes later I am still wide awake. Sigh. Insomnia? I think to myself. Nah. Excitement? I think to myself – YAH!
4:30am: I am now out of bed making coffee. I decided it is better to get up and get started than to lay there and not fall back to sleep, considering the alarm clock will go off in 30 minutes.
During this almost thirty minute process I thought to myself, “Why am I WIDE awake at 4am when I went to sleep at 10:30pm the night before. Surely my body is tired, it was a long day yesterday and I have a long day ahead.”
Some friends and family think I am insane that I get up before the chickens some days. They laugh at me because they sleep to a “normal hour” of 7 or 8 am.
In my early morning analysis, I’ve come to the conclusion that I am so excited about my projects and my work that my body must be giving me the time I need to rest then shouting: “C’mon, let’s go!” “This is fun, I’m ready”.
I tell you this short story so that you get to know a little bit more about me but I also want you to think about the following:
1) Are you so excited about what you are doing that , depending on if your are a night owl or early bird, you stay up late in the night or get up early in the morning because you are so passionate about it?
2) When you wake up are you refreshed and raring to go or are you dragging yourself out of bed in the morning to do something you aren’t thrilled with or dread?
3) If you answered NO to #2 do you have an exit strategy in place?
You have a choice as to what the future holds. It may take some work to get there if you’re not there yet. Let the excitement keep you going, even if it seems a but insane to those around you and even yourself at odd hours of day.
Passionately yours,
Hi VaNessa,
I look back in my life and when I was not raring to go in the morning, I didn’t have my dreams clearly defined, didn’t have a passion. We have to have something worthwhile, we have to know exactly what we want and get excited about it.
A lot of people our thinking about what they don’t want instead of focusing on what they do want.
Coach Freddie, refreshed and raring to go! 🙂
Freddie, Your last point is taken quite to heart. You’re right – a lot of folks focus on what they don’t want. I am hoping with help from folks like you to change that. 🙂
LOL Vanessa! You have just about described me but I get to bed later and only wake up around 5:30, EXCITED! I don’t feel refreshed necessarily but my brain is spinning with all the plans I have, and I lay there prioritizing until I finally decide to get on up and get to it!
My exit strategy is to get to bed sooner because my body refuses to sleep past first light (maybe it’s a good thing winter is coming LOL! The sun will let me sleep a bit longer! 🙂
Wishing You Wonderful Success!
Vicki
Vicki, I too, hope that winter coming will help. 5am and 530 is fine but this 4am and 430 stuff was interesting this week. Especially around 2pm when I got sleepy!
Oh My….We are kindred spirits!! This could have been me writing this VaNessa!! There was a time when a adored having Insomnia because it gave me reason to stay up all night working my passion!! I would sit on the top of the back steps and dream up my next marketing strategy whilst sipping on a Lemon Myrtle tea! Some 8 years later I am equally empassioned… but now I sleep like a baby! I loved your point about the ‘exit strategy’ …. I have just finished a Start Up Series For Newbies…and the first two parts are attributed to making sure you have the ‘inclination’ for what lies ahead… a fabulous learning curve and meeting fascinating people such as yourself. Nice to cross paths…xo
Vanessa I can SO relate to this!
It seems to me that as I get older every year, so my body is telling me that I need less sleep. My head tells me that sleep is gooood & that waking up at 4am is wrooong – but nooooo, somewhere in my system there seems to be a short circuit.
But yes! My alarm is set to 5am on weekdays & I pretty much do get going with a spring in my step – running a full-time brick & mortar business as well as an online one pretty much necessitates a really full and active day.
Stay inspired!
Michael
I KNOW how you feel Vanessa! I have to MAKE myself get up from the computer and/or put the Smart Phone down!
I’m blessed in that I get to do a job I LOVE! And the hours around it NEVER drag!
Your passion is awesome!
Have a DYNAMITE night and weekend!
Wes
Hey Vanessa,
I think it is awesome when you can actually be excited about what you are doing in life. Our world would be better if every person followed their passion in life. I agree that if you aren’t liking what you are doing just work on an exit strategy. Soon enough you will be able to do what you love to do.
Ryan
Thanks for stopping by Ryan. WIth more people focusing on making the world a better place we just may get there!
Hi Vanessa
I am an early bird even when I have had a late night-especially if it’s because inspiration is flowing. I totally agree with your sentiments about connecting to your passion. Regarding having an “exit strategy” I would prefer to rephrase it by saying a “redirection strategy”. To me having an “exit strategy” implies that you are in the wrong place and you have been wasting your time. From one perspective it may be true. But there is always an upside to having made big mistake/s and having wasted your time.The truth is that wherever you find yourself now, you can draw the life lessons, drink in the emotions (positive or negative) and use it all to move forward to reinvent yourself and change what you do. I find it EXTREMELY empowering to know that I can change myself and do anything that I put my mind to. Regarding sleeping times, I say that, as an adult, do what works best for you and your circumstances. Some days I ‘throw the clock away”. Paul S.
Paul – than you for some terrific insights. Love the redirection vs exit strategy concept. Thank you!
This is hilarious! Maybe we should be Skype (ing) at that time. Now, that’s a visual: two half asleep women, sans make-up or good lighting!
Seriously though, you made some great points and I feel the same way you do at 4:30 AM! Thank you.
Christina – that is a funny visual. But you never know what happens when two half asleep women get together at 4:30 in the morning to talk about projects 🙂
Hi Vanessa!
Thanks for inviting me to your Blog…it’s so nice meeting you. 🙂
Your article here reminds me of a story from Les Brown. Les says, a MAJORITY of people suffer their 1st MAJOR heart attack on Monday morning…when they wake up & go to ‘jobs’ that they HATE. Too sad.
I basically am a NIGHT OWL & I listen to my body when it tells me, ‘Hey, it’s time to sleep!!’
Have a highly inspired day…your tribal friend Steven Suchar
Hey Vanessa,
That right there is PASSION! That is what every entrepreneur should have if we are going to be successful in whatever we do. It’s that passion to stay up all night, or to rise before the chickens that keeps us in the game. Great post!