Dear Sunday Sparkers,
I used to have a rule for waking up early, as in 4am or 5am:
I give myself permission to go back to bed if I wake up sleepy and stay sleepy after a 30- or 40-minute timer.
I tried it, and it has been working well for me. However, I noticed that the journaling I do in those 30 or 40 minutes, regardless of its type (
gratitude, morning pages, or prompted journals), is pessimistic and comes close to gibberish. It is even worse when I dismiss that sleepiness when I wake up and continue my morning routine. I surely pay for that decision in my workday with a tired body and mind.
So what is the new rule now?
If I feel the alarm was too sudden for me when I woke up, or I feel I can barely open my eyes and want to sleep more, I totally should. You see, I love my mornings too much to be avoiding or dodging them. They matter to me too much. But if my body says no in the morning, which does not happen often by the way, I should listen to my body and go back to bed to have a good day.
I am forty years old, and it took me until now to trust this part of myself; what my body is saying in the morning. No discipline is needed here anymore. I have been disciplined for 10 years in waking up early, since 2016. I love it too much to abandon or ignore it.
So what happens now?
I will keep setting wake up alarms as usual, alarms that make sense in the first place and take into account my bedtime which ensure I get my 6 hours of sleep as a minimum. Then I will check in with myself when I wake up and decide if I should start my morning routine or not.
For sure, I can’t take such liberty when it comes to working out. It’s a baby habit that is still budding and needs lots of care and consistency until I reach the point of self-trust there.
What about you?
Where have you built so much discipline that you can give yourself permission like I gave my 5am self?
More importantly, where are you giving yourself premature permission in habits you are just starting?
P.S. I would love to hear from you. Reply to this email and tell me? What part was your favorite in today's writing?
P.P.S. Here is a post I wrote while ago about Self-Trust.