As Good As It Gets In The Morning

By Cyndi Seidler
05/16/06

I'm a night person. So, when mornings arrive, I know I have a long hull ahead of me to get to my peak period.

The way I get through my day until such time will vary depending on the day's appointments, however it usually involves incorporating some regular tasks, no matter what. Regularity. That's a good word to me, and makes me feel like I have a grip on life.

To have regularity, you need routines. So, I have my morning routine (which can only be broken by an invitation for breakfast) and I try not to sway too much from those activities. You could say I'm a creature of habit, but please don't, or at least leave out the word "creature" (unless, of course, you've actually seen me in the morning).

If you've read my other articles, you know by now that I like Starbucks coffee. But, what you didn't know is that I actually drive four miles (one way) to get to one. It's the price of living in a secluded canyon. It may not be on my daily list, but neither is a trip to the bathroom, and we all have to do that.

Once the necessities are out of the way, I am then able to function and get into the swing of things -- just don't ask me how I drive before that time. I can now handle email correspondence and calls. And, I can make my day's to do list. And, I'm thinking I'm so disciplined and cool.

In my real world, I am a great worker bee. I even play games with myself. For instance, I see if I can handle all my emails by the time I finish my cup of coffee. If I win, than I get to do something like watch Divine Design on HGTV. If I lose, I have to watch it with the sound off.

It's a reward-penalty system that drives me.

One time my best friend Mandy stopped during a time I was punishing myself. She sat on the futon in my office and grabbed the remote to turn the volume on, but I had to try and stop her. What good is a punishment if I don't carry through with it?  

"Why don't we turn up the volume and watch this?" Mandy asked. Do I tell her that I didn't finish all my emails before my coffee ran out? Does she have to be penalized for me losing the game?

"Let's just visit and chat," I suggested, hoping this would avoid further inquiries about the television.

She agreed and we discussed our strategies and things we like to talk about. This kind of weekly meeting was always quite productive and has led to many good ideas becoming something real.

My day moves on with various activities and, by the time my warm-up period is over, I'm prepared for the next phase of the day: night. It's quite, the dog is fed, the phone is silent, and I'm ready to rock 'n roll.

What I do with my peak time is not the nature of this article. To tell you that I sit and write this column and make blog posts is irrelevant information. The point is, I have a peak time and I know when it is. And, I can look forward to getting there.

The other point is I hate mornings.