I recently read Discipline Equals Freedom: Field Manual by Jocko Willink. He solved a mystery I could not just wrap my mind around when I was younger – why do people in the military get up so early? As someone who craved sleep in the past, I just could not fathom why anyone would want to get up at ‘oh-dark-thirty’ to start their day. Jocko explained that mystery for me by saying that throughout history, the enemy often attacked at dawn. The military wakes up earlier than that so they can be ready for the enemy.
I’ve known forever that the secret to getting things done is getting up early in the morning and knocking things out. I tried getting up early off and on for years but the lure of the snooze button dragged me back to my natural state. It’s funny how sometimes you just need that one piece of information to click into place for it to make all the difference.
I love sleeping. I like being under the covers and being warm and cozy. For a good portion of my life, I squeezed every last bit of sleep I could before reluctantly rolling out of bed to start my day. This dovetails nicely with the fact that I also like to be lazy.
Who is the enemy? When I told Ms. Boss about this concept, she was afraid that she was the enemy. I hasten to add that this is not the least bit true – she is my staunchest ally and friend in battle. The enemy consists of everything that keeps me from meeting my objectives. The enemy consumes my time, attacks my resources, and diverts my attention from what’s important in life. The enemy relentlessly presents a countervailing force to what is right.
During Me Becoming Me, I’ve only hit the snooze button once. The alarm goes off at 5:15 promptly. When the alarm says go, I go. What’s more, I often find myself getting up even before the alarm goes off in the morning.
I will not win every battle, but I am trying my hardest to win the war. The first thing I do every day to strive for victory is choose to get up before the enemy every morning.