I willingly sacrificed my sacred early bedtime
many nights in a row! And it was absolutely worth it.
If your full days leave you feeling drained or you’re living in reaction mode, join me on May 1st at 10:30 a.m. for Values-Based Time Management: a 60-minute workshop to reclaim your time. This isn’t about productivity hacks or doing more. It’s about doing what matters—on purpose.
If you know me well, you likely know that two things I love are an early bedtime and reading a good book. What you might not know is that these two loves are at eternal odds in my life— always competing for the same sacred window of time and energy after 9 p.m.
Unlike many things, this is not a block of time I typically schedule for myself. Ideally, I’m in bed by 9:30 and asleep by 10, but let’s be honest, my daily reality rarely matches my ideal schedule.
After the toddler’s bedtime, I often have work to wrap up, kitchen counters to wipe down, or I want to hang out with my husband!
When I do get in bed, I let the toll of the day decide if I’m going straight to sleep or reading for a while. If I’m already reading a book that I’m really digging, that comes into play here— am I just going to be thinking about the characters if I try to sleep now? I should read one chapter.
I have some pretty disciplined self-control when it comes to some things. Putting a book down when I’m enjoying it is not one of those things. I will tell myself one more chapter for literal hours. One or 2 AM can easily come and go, no matter my 6 am alarm clock, the unpredictability of a toddler’s nighttime sleep habits, or the details of the following workday.
And when I wake up exhausted (today, hi, it’s me), I am a little frustrated with myself for being tired, but also incredibly buzzed on the energy of a good book! When is the last time you were so into something that you absolutely could not pull yourself out of the flow!? To be pulled deep into the clutches of a book is exhilarating.
And ultimately, I’m ok with this trade-off because I love reading. I chose to continue reading one more chapter because it was bringing me joy! I am making a sacrifice in favor of something I value. Finding a good book is not a guarantee, and to be so engrossed in a story that I eagerly forego my other love of being well-rested is a choice I’m comfortable making.
We get to make choices about how we spend our time. We’re grown-ups! We can do whatever we want! Sometimes it’s tricky when we have to choose between two things that we care about. But as long as we choose with intention and we spend our time in line with our values, there are no bad decisions.
Are you making intentional choices about your time? What is competing with your bedtime goals?
Share in the comments (and join me on May 1st!)