Not hitting snooze

This year for Lent, I'm giving up the same thing I did last year — the "snooze" button. Lent falls right in the final stretch of winter, when days seem the gloomiest because you just know spring is around the corner, but not here yet.

So this time of year I often find myself more tired more often, hitting the snooze button to avoid bracing the cold day ahead. Now, I set a realistic goal the night before on when I need to start my day. And until Easter arrives, I'll need to stick to that.

It worked really well for me last year. In addition to the obvious thing about making the most of my mornings before work, it made me think more intentionally about what kind of day I wanted to have. If I stay up late for some reason one night, I'll be more forgiving and kind to future-me by setting my alarm for later. But in the morning when that alarm rings, even if I'm in the middle of a good dream or my bed has never been more comfortable, that's it — no snooze.

If anything, I'm hoping that doing this will be a reset of sorts for me — making me strive for some standard each morning that hopefully sticks.

Last year, my big takeaway was obedience, for lack of a better word. I can be a bit stubborn sometimes, but this taught me to make a plan and stick to it. It taught me the value of habit, and of jumping into the day with enthusiasm. Then, once I've hit "stop" on the alarm and gotten up, I get to reap the rewards of the new day.