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I've been getting up at 4:30 a.m. lately. It's horrible and wonderful at the same time.
I do it to make sure I carve out some time in the morning to focus on my goal of writing a book. I've been saying I want to do it for years. My email password has been "Bookdone2015" for each passing year that the book was in fact not done until recently when I realized having a motivational password doesn't write the book.
Writing the dang book gets the book written.
So the work has begun and the motivational pep talks have gone out the window. Action has more fuel than fluffy words.
Is there a guarantee this book will be awesome and change my life? Decidedly not. In fact, I have no delusions of it doing anything other than scratching an itch I've had in my brain for years.
So why the heck would I wake up at 4:30 in the morning to do something that has no guarantees to bring me financial freedom or a "better" job? I guess the better question is: Why not?
Why not dig in deep and follow the vision in your brain and soul to do something, even though you have no idea where it might lead? Why not push yourself to do more just for the sake of doing it and not merely skimming the surface in life?
I have a friend who was a pastor. This guy has a natural gift to reach people and meet them where they are in life rather than merely preaching from an unrealistic pulpit. When he spoke, it was clear this is what he should be doing.
He's in a season in his life where he's not doing it. He's working on his doctorate degree's dissertation while he's a bug exterminator. A mentor of his basically told him to go ahead and finish his schooling but to know there are no guarantees. He might never get a job preaching again because jobs like that simply are not often available.
This gray road ahead is not stopping him from being a husband, dad and a curious student who feels the immense tug of his goals with no guarantees.
It is so hard to hold onto our goals and feel like we're "called" to do more when we have bills to pay and spouses to answer to, but I do believe if we keep chipping away at the thing we know we have to do, the rewards will come.
So yes, I wake up at 4:30 a.m. to set my focus on writing because talking about it is not getting it done. And when it is done, the skies will not open up and shower me with money and praise, but each day when I put in the work, the payoff is already happening.
Each morning spent tapping into doing what has been speaking to me for all of adulthood is a deeper life. Before the alarms go off for others in my family and they need a piece of me, I start my day by giving a piece of me to my goals without guarantees.
This morning I stepped outside and saw a winter sky full of stars, took a deep breath and knew this waking up early thing is hard but worth the work. I have no idea why, but I'm curious enough to find out.
How about you? Will you dig in deep or skim the safe surface?