The sun hasn’t even made it over the horizon and your eyelids are slits as you shuffle your way from room to room. And there it is… the heavenly mattress, the soft pillows, the warm blankets… just saying, “Hey. You look tired. Why not stop what you’re doing and get all cozy.” And that’s how it gets you.
The Call
It seems so friendly and so kind. It’s a great old friend, just wanting to give you a few minutes of peace in a world where comfort is hard to come by. It’s a teleport capable of whisking you away to other worlds, amazing new timelines, and exciting adventures, all while relaxing in pure tranquility.
There is something about the call of the bed that beckons us – that lures us in to just stop what we’re doing to give it all up for some extended relaxation.
The Value
The truth is we need to rest. We need to stop. We have a biological need to shut down each day and recharge for around seven to nine hours (or a bit more for teenagers). Getting any less than this can set us up for a less than ideal day. We will struggle with memory, attention, and clear thinking.
We need to get a full night’s sleep. It will help us be ready for the next day. It will prepare us for all we need to do and all we need to become.
The Trap
But at a certain point, we must get out of bed. We must throw off the warmth of inactivity and jump out there and face the world. We might enjoy the comfort of those flannel sheets on a cold winter day, but there is a certain point we need to leave where we’re comfortable to face new challenges and grow as a person.
The bed may be enticing with all those wonderful dreams of what could be, but we only make our dreams a reality when we kick off the covers and tackle life head on.
We have to avoid the trap of believing that the comfort of the bed is where joy lies*. It lies in getting out into the world to face the less comfortable and finding the strength within us to embrace it and enjoy it. It lies in doing the hard work to mold our lives into our dreams. It lies in going from what’s easy to enjoying what’s challenging.
Rejecting the Call
So, after a full night’s sleep, when the bed invites you to stay a few more minutes or hit that snooze button once again, it’s probably time to spring out of bed and move toward a richer, fuller day.
If you struggle with getting out of bed, here are a few simple things you can try. First, you can apply Mel Robbin’s technique called the 5 Second Rule. It’s how she turned her life around from heavy drinker wandering through life to an inspirational, high achieving leader who’s helped millions.
I highly recommend the book, and the idea behind the rule is simple. Start counting down from five. When you reach one, start doing whatever activity you were procrastinating on. If you are in bed, by the time you reach “one” you should be sitting up with your feet firmly on the floor. If you then can’t seem to stand, apply the rule again and be standing by the time you reach one. This is a great tool to help you become more productive.
And if you find after starting your day you’re still tired after half an hour or an hour, it may be that you need a full night’s sleep. Stay awake all day and by the end of it, you will be exhausted. Go to bed at a decent hour and be ready for a great day tomorrow.
You Call the Shots
In your life who do you want to be calling the shots: you or your bed? Do you want to chase your dreams and see them become real, or do you want to avoid the day and simply subsist on what your sleep will share with you?
Making your dreams a reality will require some discipline, but with tools like the 5-Second Rule, you can easily change your habits and become who you really want to be.
The bed may be calling you with comfort, but life is calling you with excitement, adventure, and possibilities. Don’t take the easy path. Take the path that will make your dreams a reality.
* Technically, if your name is Joy, it truly is where you lie, but you get my point.
