Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Wake Up!

Dear Mom,

The other day I was talking to a friend about something that escapes memory for now. I was jabbering away and asked, "So guess what I did?" She laughed, rolled her eyes and said, "Good Heavens, what now?" I really enjoyed that, having a reputation of doing something different, something just outside the comfort zone, something fun. You have to eat, brush your teeth, go to work, sleep and so on, every day. Why not spice it up, just a little, just for today?

For more years than I can count, I've had this hate/hate relationship with sleep, and the hate part is because I've been a wimp. I'm always trying to cater to others' sleep schedules and it's not working, it's never worked and it NEVER will work. Wake up, Lisa, literally wake up. And quit whining.

I love to stay up late but also love to get up early, but the problem is deeper than that. The fact is I hate to sleep, period. As a very small child I realized that it's very difficult for me to stay still. In school it was physically painful to sit in the same spot for any length of time, still is. I never planned on going to college, sitting in a chair or at a desk one moment longer than necessary was out of the question. On days when I spend too much time in front of the computer, I hurt all over. When I stay in bed for too long, I hurt all over.

But whatever happens, I always wake up at 7:00am. My eyes snap open, I have a surge of adrenaline and I'm ready to get up. If I've stayed up until 4:00am, I set the alarm for the number of hours I think I need to sleep...and my eyes snap open at 7:00am. I have to keep forcing myself back to sleep until the alarm goes off. I'm always tired. This is not working.

I've just come across Steve Pavlina's excellent advice on "How to Become an Early Riser" and have decided to try his method, which is basically a good take on "Just Do It". He advises against setting an early bedtime, focussing on getting up without fail at the same time every morning, and going to sleep that night when you get sleepy.

http://earlyriser.notlong.com

So, here's what... I'll set my alarm clock for 7:00am every morning for 30 days---and just do it. After that I could change my mind to get up somewhat earlier, but it's a start.

I love you,

Lisa

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