The morning promise-keeping your first promise to yourself in the morning, and how that can jump start your entire day
Some might look at this title and think I am doing WAY too much. What’s this about a morning promise? What’s the big deal? IT’S JUST AN ALARM!!!
In our last blog post, we discussed how we often break the first promise that we make to ourselves in the morning.
We tell ourselves that we are going to wake up at
But when that alarm goes off…*SNOOZE*.
What’s the big deal?
Well, I’ve learned that that one little act of snoozing and not getting up when I say I will makes all the difference in the world.
Let’s put it like this: your brain was built to keep you safe. Safe from external threats, like lions and tigers and bears. (insert obligatory: Oh My!)
But also safe from internal threats as well. Your brain doesn’t want you to fail.
If it knows that you will safely and confidently execute a task, it will reinforce positivity and you will do the task.
If your mind knows that you are not likely to do the task, or that the task will cause you to “fail”, your brain will put the kibosh on that expeditiously.
Your brain is trying to protect you. It doesn’t want you to feel discomfort. It wants you to be even-keeled and in a steady-state at all times. Doing new or potentially “dangerous” tasks are a threat to this steady-state.
Back to your snooze button.
When your alarm goes off, and you hit snooze, your brain exhales a sigh of relief. This feels normal. This is what we do every day.
Your brain likes this state. This is what always happens, it says.
The next thing you try to do to push yourself? Your brain will insert all sorts of negative self-talk. “I can’t do that.” “I am a failure.” And on and on.
Or, it will raise the internal anxiety level so high that you go into fight or flight mode. You’ll get so anxious that you do little things to quell that anxiety.
For me, it was procrastination through social media. Every time I needed to start working on that big project, my heart rate would rise. My blood pressure would spike.
And…I’d pick up my phone and commence to scrolling to ease the tension.
Maybe you don’t scroll social. Maybe you get started on the task, but get so wrapped up in making it perfect that it never gets finished. The end result? The work is not done.
Maybe you start a conversation with a coworker to avoid the task at hand.
Maybe you check your email incessantly, or do a whole bunch of unnecessary and unimportant tasks to avoid the massive tasks that would move you toward your goals (insert planning link).
On the flip side of that-if you wake up and keep that small promise to yourselves of getting out of bed when you say you will, your brain recognizes that small change.
“She just did something she said she was going to do. And it wasn’t too hard…hmmm…maybe I can be okay with this whole getting stuff done business she is trying to do!”
Just like that, your confidence builds.
The negative self-talk might not completely go away, but it lessens significantly.
The promises that you keep to yourself creates goodwill in your brain for the rest of the day.
You will feel more on top of things, and more confident in your ability to get things done. Your brain won’t sabotage you as much.
Motivation has nothing to do with it.
If you want to get more things done, just start. Doing builds confidence in yourself, and then do more.
Nothing gets you going more than having a small win.
This is why, if you are like me, you write things on your to-do list and check them off EVEN IF YOU’VE ALREADY DONE THEM.
Talk back to me…I know I am not alone! It can’t be just me!!!
I used to think I was being silly when I did this, but this is actually a strategy that is promoted by some gurus who write about how to develop habits and get more done.
Small wins will allow your brain to say “Ok…that wasn’t so bad. I guess we can do this next task.”
It all starts with keeping that first promise to yourself.
What do you think? Are you ready to take control of your day by keeping your first promise to yourself?
Are you ready to join the #nosnoozecrew?
Comment down below! Also, if you wake up early and it makes a difference in your day, I’d love to hear about it!
Peace and Love,
Kim