6am, my alarm goes off and I hit snooze. Suddenly, it's 7am.
I'm up, I'm up... yeesh.
It'd been a late night, so I'd already pushed back my alarm to sleep in... but not quite like that. Can't do anything about it now, anyway. So I step outside to drag my feet around the neighborhood and already the wind is whipping.
I could've sworn it was just spring—why the hell is the real-feel 18°F??
Bleary eyed, I stifle a yawn and look up to find that the house on the corner is bustling with activity. I don't know where to look at first, but after taking in the noise and abundance of people, I register the two pickups in the driveway. And the guy tossing Tyvak roofing sheets down on the concrete between them. Then the half-a-dozen workers spreading out across the roof itself. I've already been fighting my fatigue, but these guys just made how tired I feel so much more palpable.
The contrast is astounding.
Back from my walk, I make a deal with myself: instead of meditating and doing my morning pages, I'll give myself time to read. Meditating seems like a great way to fall asleep, and what I need is some kind of stimulation to wake my brain up since I'm still trying to delay my caffeine intake.
Focusing on the throughline of a plot would probably stir my attention, right?
So I lower myself into the chair by the window with my best "dad grunt" and just... read. And every now and then, one of the workers on the neighbor's roof floats past at eye level and makes some noise just in case I start to drift.
***
I never ended up coming back to the meditation and morning pages I'd punted, but I certainly enjoyed the time spent reading. It worked quite well, too.
Tomorrow, we take it from the top.
Do you make deals with yourself? If so, do you keep your promises?
onward.
For more on this daily column and The MAP Year Project, read the backstory here. And if you know someone who'd appreciate this, pass it along.