Lead yourself first

The night before, I set multiple alarm clocks so that I can wake up early in the morning. I started setting the clock at 5am and set increments of 30 minutes until 6am. Usually, I am able to wake up when I wanted to.

However, waking up early isn't the hardest part of my morning routine. The hardest part is getting up. If you think about it, waking up takes a lot less effort because all you need to do is to open your eyes. I do that a lot; I wake up!

But the part that I failed a lot is in getting up, where by I have to physically lift my reluctant body off the comfortable pillow and bed. Then, I have to walk to the toilet to get ready. I can't tell you how many mornings I have succeeded in waking up, but I have failed in getting up.

Do I give up? Of course not!

I analyzed my situation and I realized something about myself. Whenever I want to get up, I will look around first. Often times, when I see the people around me still sleeping, then I immediately think to myself, "Well, they're fast asleep, so I guess I should to."

That's the end of it.

Part of being a leader is to be different, but in a good way. Sometimes you will find yourself in situations where you are the only one who is doing it, but you know that it is the right thing or the better thing to do. When you look around and see people going the other way, you know that you shouldn't follow them.

But the natural instinct to want to be a part of others is so strong in ourselves that it can be difficult to overcome at times. With self-awareness and self-determination however, we can bypass that natural instinct and be better because we know better.

We can finally get up, when everyone else is fast asleep.