The pesky alarm went off again and I pressed the snooze button for the umpteenth time. “It’s not possible,” I thought half-asleep, “I just closed my eyes!” Well, it felt like it. I had been up working late yet again, very late, and now I was paying the price and suffering the consequences. I felt incredibly tired and groggy, and I felt no enthusiasm to get out of bed. I fought the impulse to close my eyes again. “If I close them again I may not open them until the weekend,” I thought. So I dragged my aching body out of my comfortable bed and up I went to start my day. I’m only 40 years old yet I felt like a person of 80.
Through my morning routine I wondered, “Why do I always do this to myself?” Then I realized that it was my sense of duty and responsibility to my family and my work. I have a hard time leaving things half-done, or postponing something that I know needs to be done, so I stay up until I do it. The problem is that I don’t usually make a distinction between “must be done today” and “must be done, period.”
If anything must be done, there is no time like the present to do it, is my mentality. While this allows me to accomplish many things in a day, I feel like I do of these things in a zombie-like manner; lifelessly. This prevents me from being fully present in the moment, or even from getting any enjoyment out of the things I do. That’s not living; it actually feels like dying, and it isn’t right.
I’m committed to fulfilling the rights that my wife has over me, and the rights that my children have over me, but I seldom think about the rights that my own body has over me. My body also requires my attention and my care, and by overworking it and depriving it of the rest and sleep that it needs, I’m not fulfilling those rights.
So today I’m making a commitment to respect my body and go to bed at a decent hour at least 4 days this week. I would say every day, but I know that would be unrealistic for me. Nevertheless I have to start somewhere, and I’m starting right here. And 4 days is definitely more than 0. I’m also making a commitment to make a distinction between what “must be done” and what “must be done today.” I will focus on the things that must be done today, and take care of the other list a little at a time. That’s my commitment for this week, and that’s how I’ll take care of myself.
What about you? How do you take care of yourself? Drop me a line in the comment box below.
I’d love to hear from you!
JC Coaching 
I totally related to this post. In the first couple of years of my business I worked very late every night after my son was in bed, I was always tired and had very little energy. I rarely exercised and almost always got that mid-afternoon slump. Then a couple of years ago I heard Brian Tracy talking about getting 8 hours sleep a night. At first I thought that was going to be impossible. I committed to giving it a go for at least a week. 2 plus years I’ve never looked back. Most nights I’m in bed and going to sleep 8 hours before I need to get up. I am so much more productive in my business, a nicer person and I feel better. Yes, on the odd occasion my book is just too good to put down or I have friends over etc, and yes the snooze butter does still get hit sometimes but mostly life is better for getting more sleep.
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