Expectations versus Reality

This morning, I got out of bed at 8:17am and was immediately swept with guilt. 

How could I sleep so late?
How dare I waste precious hours I could be devoting to my business or our home while our girls were still sleeping.
My husband had arrived at work this morning by 6am.  How could I be so unfair?

HUH!?!
This is exactly what my self-talk was straight out of bed. 

I had gotten the girls asleep by 9:30 last night and read for awhile before dozing off, having set my alarm for 6am. 

I had hit snooze for 2 whole hours!  I’m so lazy!
Ummmm….no. 

Thankfully, quite quickly, my brain snapped back with reasoning.  I was up at 1am for quite some time soothing my 4 year old who had had a night terror and wet her bed.  She was screaming, we were changing pajamas in the dark, and I was pulling bedding off her bed after tucking her into ours (next to our 2 year old who had climbed in sometime prior).  Then, spent most of the remainder of the night curled up at the foot of the bed trying to sleep like the family dog.  No wonder I was tired.

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​But then… 
were these excuses?  Was I justifying my being lazy?
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Isn’t it incredible the things we put ourselves thru for no reason?
 
I got to thinking…
I have just spent an additional 20 minutes worrying about justifying my failure to meet my self-established expectations to myself! 
Not only that, but I started my day with negative and self-sabotaging self-talk of which was not benefiting myself or anyone else. 
Why is that?
 
Do I feel guilty for running my business from home full time while my husband goes off to a job each day he may not love?
Do I feel guilty for having a job I love when so many don’t?
Have I read one too many “How successful people live life” articles that tell me I need to get up every day at 4am and spend 2 hours exercising and meditating before I get to work?
 
I’m not arguing that a morning regimen is or isn’t the key to starting your day right.  I also don’t believe that in most cases you can be successful while sleeping in or doing whatever you want for the most part. 

I commit a large amount of work to my business.  I have mentors.  I work night and day. 

However, if you are pushing yourself to constantly do something that is only bringing you stress, I do not believe that is a weakness you need to commit to overcoming.  I agree with Dean Graziosi in that you have to double down on your strengths.
If you are giving it your best effort, truly giving it your best effort, than progress will be made. 

Forcing yourself out of bed at 5am every day to workout will no doubt bring you some progress.  You may or might not get used to it and learn to enjoy it.  OR, you might see faster and more consistent performance if you workout during that hour in the afternoon after work before you make dinner.  Only you can make that decision. 

But, as Les Brown so eloquently tells us, “Someone else’s opinion does not need to become your reality!”
 
Push yourself.  Do your very best.  Recognize what is necessary and what just sounds good.  Work hard.  But do not talk down to yourself.  Do not start your day with disdain for yourself.  Do not sabotage.
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You will never accomplish great things while you are beating yourself up.  Believe in yourself!
 

If you haven’t read it yet, Millionaire Success Habits by Dean Graziosi has a chapter that guides you through writing down your current story.  The story that might be holding you back and keeping you from your best self.  Then, it guides you through writing your new story.  The true story.  The true future.  He’s been giving it away for free.  I suggest you grab your copy!  TheBetterLife.com