I’ve always been an overachiever. I want to be the best at everything I do. If there was extra credit, I would do it, so I would have the higher grade. We could psychoanalyze this into needing attention at home or wanting to prove to myself that I’m worthy. But, I have a therapist for that.

I’m here to tell you there are very few opportunities for extra credit in life, and some things that look like they will give you extra credit are deceptive.

woman in white robe holding white ceramic mug — Photo by Laura Chouette on Unsplash

Apparently, one of the secrets to getting more done is waking up earlier.

Get up before everyone else

Claim those quiet morning hours.

Build your routine.

Get a head start on the day.

And if you’re naturally an early riser, that’s great. Truly.

In fact, I’m a little jealous. I’m that person who needs a minimum of seven to eight hours of sleep to function. So, if you’re like me and not naturally an early riser, you may be exhausted by midafternoon, wondering why you can’t seem to keep up.

We’re told so many times that if we want more out of life, we need to do more. Get up earlier. Be more disciplined. Find another way to squeeze a little more productivity out of the day.

But what if the answer isn’t doing more?

What if it’s paying attention to how you actually function?

You don’t have to adopt someone else’s routine to prove you’re serious about your goals. You don’t have to sacrifice your energy just because someone on the internet swears their 5 AM routine changed their life.

I tried the early morning routine. My son was much younger, but I was convinced that this would change my life. I got up early for a couple of days and checked off a lot of boxes. It felt good. Then I started hitting snooze too many times. If I did get up, I was too groggy to be as productive as I wanted to be, and I’d start to fade way too early in the afternoon. I beat myself for not being able to follow through and change my habits.

Instead, I should have paid attention to my natural rhythms.

Instead of starting your morning before the sun comes up, you go with what feels natural. Maybe yours starts at 7. Maybe you do your best thinking in the afternoon. Maybe you need more sleep than the person telling you to get up before dawn.

That doesn’t make you lazy. It makes you human.

I’m learning that making room for what matters also means making room for myself—my energy, my needs, and the reality of the life I’m actually living. I’m no longer chasing the gold starts and extra credit in life.

Because the goal isn’t to see how much I can squeeze into a day.

It’s to build a like I don’t have to exhaust myself to keep up with.

And I think that’s a much better measure of success.

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What if you didn't need to get better at managing everything, but instead got to decide what belonged on your calendar in the first place? If you’d like to explore these ideas more deeply, I offer 1:1 coaching to help women make intentional decisions, set boundaries, and make room for themselves. You’re welcome to reach out to explore working together.

You Don’t Get Extra Credit for Being Tired