I'm in a love/hate relationship with my snooze button.
That sweet little devil offers 15 more glorious minutes of warmth, denial, and "sleep". My relationship with it is complicated - like, "we need couples therapy" complicated.
Every morning at 5am (yes, five freaking a.m.) my alarm goes off and without hesitation, I touch right on that snooze button like it's taking up half the room. I then snuggle back into my perfectly worn-in cocoon of blankets, press a little closer to my bedmates (get your head out of the gutter, one has fur and paws), and mentally prepare for what I know is coming" the SECOND alarm. That's the one that reminds me: this moment of bliss is on borrowed time.
I really HATE that alarm.
To me, it's not just a sound - it's a signal. It signals that the soft, cozy part of my day is over. Real life is about to bulldoze its way in, uninvited, loud, and relentlessly productive. My body may technically be vertical by 5:20ish but make no mistake - I am still grieving the loss of sleep, warmth, and freedom for hours to come.
Could I skip all this and just set the alarm for a later time? Could I get more quality sleep and wake up to an alarm at the time I actually rise out of the coffin? Of course! I am an adult with full control over my schedule (and there's not a lot going on in real estate before 9am). But do you know what? I choose this chaos!
Buried inside that early morning fog is where all the good stuff lives.
That's when the workouts happen. That's when the best strategy sessions take place. That's when Brad and I drink our coffee, share a few laughs, talk about our big ideas to save our community (and sometimes the world), and - I'll be honest - have actual conversations before the world demands every single second of our attention. It's our sacred time. It's the time before our phones start blowing up and emails start filling up our to-do lists.
Even on mornings after a late night at bowling league (yes, we bowl in an actual sanctioned league, and yes, I have very serious opinions about regular vs. string bowling), I'm still up and moving by 5am. I do this because I made a commitment to be at that 6:30am Rotary meeting. Showing up for others - especially when it's inconvenient - is something I take very seriously.
Could I sleep more? 100%.
Should I sleep more? Probably.
Am I still wildly and unapologetically in love with my life, even when I'm running on fumes and copious amounts of caffeine? Absolutely!
Truth is, my days are full. My calendar is absurd. My energy dips and surges at all the wrong times (shoutout to my 3pm-to-midnight productivity window). To me, it's all worth it! The people I spend my time with, the work I do, the causes I support - they're the things that make this life rich, even when I'm looking a little ragged.
Soooo...I'll keep hitting that snooze button. I'll keep dragging my tired a$$ out of bed when the rest of the world is happily drooling on their pillows. Not because I have to, but because I GET to.
Now I'm curious...
What's your morning routine? Are you a chronic snoozer like me, or one of those mythical creatures who leaps out of bed with purpose and joy (teach me your ways!)? Do you swear by early mornings or does your brain not function until brunch?
Drop your comments below - sharing your rituals and secret sauce for routine productivity. I'm always down to swap a few life hacks!
For the record, if your alarm-free, 8-hours-a-night, zen AF lifestyle is working for you - mad props! I'm happy for you...and also mildly jealous.
