Small Victories

All due respect to Neil Sedaka (and these guys…wow), but this week it hit me that waking up really is hard to do.

My usual sleep schedule consists of going to bed between 10 PM and midnight, waking up once or twice during the night, and then snoozing my alarm clock every nine minutes from 6 AM to 7 AM. Sometimes 7:15. I’ve never exercised much willpower to get myself out of bed and its finally time to address the problem.

I can remember one summer many years ago when I woke up just about every morning and literally jumped out of bed. I had so much energy. I think about that summer and I wonder what it was that was different…was I just having so much fun that I couldn’t sleep? Did my diet change? Was I going to bed earlier? It’s not like I was waking up at 9 AM ready to go…I was waking up between 6-7 AM. Ever since that summer it has been a terrible challenge to roll out of bed.

Yesterday, and again this morning, I took some simple steps and won some small victories. I’ve heard it said that there are many aspects of your life that you’ll never change if you go “cold turkey”…you’ll only change them if you make a small adjustment every day. That’s the philosophy that I’m going to employ in my efforts to get out of bed earlier. Yesterday morning I got up at 6:45…it was not easy. This morning I got up at 6:40. Again, not easy. But with the goal in my mind I was able to do it.

I can make several observations based on the last few hours since waking up earlier.

First, the morning went a lot smoother than usual. I was out of the shower a little after 7. That meant that my daughter was awake and out of the shower by 7:15. By the time I was dressed and ready to go downstairs it was only 7:30. I had a full twenty minutes to get breakfast, my lunch, and my daughter’s lunch made. My daughter left to catch the school bus…and I didn’t feel like it was an inconvenience to take the dog outside. And feed him. And give him a drink. By the time I was finished, I looked at the clock and it was just a couple minutes after 8 AM. I remembered that I had to put some mail in the mailbox. I stopped and put gas in my car. I got to work right at 8:30…five to ten minutes before I usually do.

But, of course, the biggest benefit was the simple fact that I did not feel rushed at all. I was nice to my family instead of acting like a drill sergeant. I was able to stop and listen to the things my daughter was telling me instead of barking out orders.

My goal for tomorrow is to get up five minutes earlier. Not every morning will go so smoothly…and the next time I’m sick, it’s going to be tough to get back on track. But this morning was full of small victories, and those are the ones that count the most.

Being Human

I know that I’ve got a big banner on this website already, but for those of you who might have missed it, I am a Mormon. By that, I mean that I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. That’s the church that has drawn a whole heckuva lot of attention lately thanks to prominent members like Mitt Romney, Jon Huntsman, Jr., Harry Reid, and Bryce Harper. A lot of misconceptions are being cleared up thanks to all of this attention…people are finding out that we don’t have five wives, worship Joseph Smith, sacrifice animals in our temples, etc. People are finding out that Mormons are, in many ways, just average people who believe that God is still speaking to His children.

But with all of this attention, I think that there has been an unintended consequence. We keep seeing stories in the news about successful, happy, and faithful Mormons – and that’s all fine and dandy, so long as we remember that Mormons are human too. I think it is perfectly fine for the Church to showcase its most exemplary members, but I would never want people to think that Mormons are somehow above the fray. I don’t want people to look at me and think that I don’t have to struggle or fight against temptation. A strange reaction on my part? Perhaps. I just don’t want to see my fellow church-goers get labeled as un-Christian because they seem too…well…perfect. In a “Stepford Wives” kind of way. Isn’t part of being Christian being imperfect and in need of the Savior’s atoning sacrifice? Isn’t going to church about becoming more like our Father…growing better in the face of tribulation? That’s not to say that we should all walk around saying “woe is me”. But I think that it might be somewhat disingenuous to portray Mormons as a people who have no weaknesses. That’s just not true. I’m a living example of that.

So as you continue to see more about Mormonism in the news, please remember that we are proud of our most faithful members…but at the same time, remember that we are human too. We acknowledge the need for the Savior’s divine gift. We are a church of imperfect people seeking to become better. Sometimes we – I – stumble. But that’s the beauty of this life. And perhaps that’s also what makes Mormons like myself a bit different as well. We know that the gospel is full of stories of regular people who became so much more when they turned to the Lord and devoted their lives to their neighbors. I hope that I can be an example of that reality, not an example of an unrealistic ideal.

A Post a Day Keeps the Insanity Away

If you couldn’t already tell, I have established a new goal – to blog something every single day. So far we’ve covered everything from basic botany to language to fitness, and we are only five days in!

Today’s post is coming to you via the WordPress app on my iPhone. Mobile blogging is easier than ever before. And it’s just as therapeutic as blogging from a desktop or laptop. I don’t need to struggle to remember all of my good blogging ideas for hours on end.

That’s my thought for today – if you’re looking for a quick and convenient new way to keep yourself sane, try blogging each and every day. You’ll tap into your long-dormant creativity, eliminate stress, and develop a new habit that can connect you with interesting people all around the world.