No, this isn't another article telling you that the key to success is waking up early—because it's not. Let me put it out there: I believe that the key to success is knowing when you're most productive and figuring out a way to adjust your lifestyle accordingly.
Two years ago, when I ~*officially*~ became a full-time writer, I was lucky enough to be hired by a company with semi-flexible hours. Most people come in at 10 a.m, but I'm usually at the office by 6:15 a.m.—which entails waking up at 4:00 a.m.
I wish I could tell you I've always been this way, but, like you, I often fantasize about never leaving my bed. So why do I do it?
First of all, I don't have a car. I knew when I got hired that I was going to have to commute to work. Thankfully, my commute is easy: The MRT is a five-minute walk from my condo and my office is less than 10 stops away. But if you've ever taken the MRT, you know that after 6 a.m., it's pretty much a bloodbath in there. Also, I don't know what it is, but every type of failure or malfunction happens AFTER 6 a.m., so getting on the train before then is one of my daily goals.
Another reason why I like to wake up super early is because I don't need the stress of having to bolt out the door 15 minutes after I open my eyes. I need a slow start to my day, mostly because my mind is racing the minute I wake up, and my body needs time to catch up.
When I leave my condo at 5:00 a.m., it's also a much cooler walk to the MRT. I live on a busy street, and there are a lot of tricycles nearby. But I've never taken one in the two years I've been doing this routine, because I truly enjoy walking (but also because I'm too proud to pay P20 when I can literally see my MRT station from my condo, really.)
Now that I've gotten used to waking up before the rest of the world, I've grown to enjoy being a morning person. I like the quiet that greets me when I walk into an empty office. I'm thankful I don't have to cater to anyone else but myself for a few hours. It lets me plan my day in peace. I've also learned something about myself: I'm most creative before noon. I don't love anything I write after 4 p.m., unless it's completely unrelated material from my main job.
As an introvert, I also use that time to hype myself up for a full-day of conversing and collaborating with my team. I love them, but it's super necessary, LOL! And this is also something I cherish at the end of the day, which works out perfectly because I live alone. I know people mean well when you get home and they ask you about your day, but for me, it's miserable. The last thing I want to do after a long day is to relive it.
Unfortunately for my social life, I'm useless at night, and I'm usually in bed before 10:00 p.m. It takes a lot for me to agree to a social gathering after work and all the hours leading up to it are spent dreading the commute home.
Ah well, I'm almost 30, so I'm just going to accept this as my first step towards titahood. What about you?
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