Some people (or animals like me) find it very easy to get up early in the morning. For others, getting up before noon is a difficult task.
So what's the difference between people who manage to conquer that giant of laziness and "five more minutes" and get up even at 6:00 a.m.... and those who don't?
Today I, Paršelis Antanas, am talking to my namesake Antanas Bakšis. A young student developing various businesses and activities in Lithuania.
And while his CV is impressive, he is an ordinary citizen like many others. Because he struggles with the same common addictions (laziness), lack of discipline and so on.
Well, I'd rather let Antanas tell it all himself.
Good! First of all, introduce yourself. In five sentences or less - who are you?
I am Antanas, a relentless dreamer and pursuer of perfection and knowledge.
More specifically, I run an international technology business, SearchNode, which I started with friends when I was 16.
I am now 21. We have one of the largest e-commerce sites in the Eastern European region and the UK.
Do you often challenge yourself? On a ten-point scale from Baleful Boredom to Superhero Batman, where would you place yourself?
I challenge myself often. I have a strange phobia of stopping improving and looking for the best configuration in life, so I am always trying to improve all areas of my life. Perfectionism, apparently.
I would give myself a 7 on the scale, because there is still a lot of room for improvement.
Tell us what challenge you took on and what were the rules?
The challenge is to get up at 6:00 every morning.
The rules were simple - don't press the snooze button and get up immediately when the alarm goes off. And every day until it becomes a habit.
And why did you choose this challenge?
I have had the problem of not being able to get up early, pressing the snooze button and ending up getting up at 9:00-10:00. I get to work at 11:00 - just after lunchtime.
It was very painful for me from the inside, my work suffered, I missed my personal time because I had to stay at work until late. I realised I needed to change.
Overall, how did you go about achieving your goal?
It was very difficult to get up at first. But I just kept telling myself every morning that it would get easier every day. I knew that when you get the flu, the first few days are the hardest and then you get better.
Of course, there were exceptions.
A party after which you had to sleep longer, or something else. However, every day it got easier and easier to get up, and now I wake up almost without an alarm clock, invigorated and full of energy.
And what was the biggest obstacle in your way?
Ah, laziness. Sometimes it's so nice to sleep for an hour. I try to manage her in most areas, because she likes to visit me when I don't need it.
The "doldrums" have also been a hindrance. If I stayed up until midnight at a party or bar with a group of friends, it was clear that I wouldn't get up early.
Discipline is therefore very important, but exceptions can be made. It is important that they do not harm in the long run.
What did you do when things were hard and you wanted to throw everything away?
I used to say to myself "Am I so weak that I would give up?", and then there was the anger that I am not a loser and can do what I set out to do. There were a few days when I slept until 8:00-9:00 in the morning, but when I woke up, I felt guilty that I had slept for some 11-12 hours.
How did you feel after completing the challenge? Did you achieve what you initially hoped for?
You could say yes, I achieved what I expected. I hardly need an alarm now, and I feel great when I have a long day and I look in the mirror and say to myself, "well, good for you".
What did you learn during your challenge?
I realised that getting up early in the morning - 6:00-6:30 - gives me a very good energy for the whole day. I feel completely different all day - much better. The day is much longer.
I get up early, I'm at work by 7:00 and have personal time from 16:00-17:00. I've learned that it's details like these that make for well-being and career success.
Do you have any advice for people who want to repeat or surpass your adventure?
The Golden Rule - do not press the snooze button, get up as soon as the alarm sounds.
I personally use an app - an alarm clock that gives you Captcha characters to turn off. Immediately, it's a very good brain boost.
And remember that the first week will be the hardest, then it will get easier, and eventually you may not need an alarm at all.
Taaaiii... What challenge will you take on now? Do you already have ideas or secret desires?
Meditate for 30 consecutive days and do stretching and abdominal press exercises in the morning for 30 consecutive days.
The second one is going smoothly - somehow it's not hard to force myself to exercise in the morning. The first one is still difficult, I'm trying to find the right motivation. 🙂
Thank you, Antanas!
It's like this. It turns out that you can motivate yourself very well by saying to yourself "so what, am I such a loser?" or others like that. It may sound unpleasant coming from someone else, but it is empowering coming from yourself.
...Let alone knowing that at the end of it all, you'll be able to say "well done" to yourself. It's probably not for nothing that they say that talking to yourself is one of the best ways to improve.
By the way, the goal of getting up early is not so rare. Chef Daniel has also done it for his in a month-long experiment. However, he now only gets up according to the sun - he doesn't get up until it's up. Even if it's only 9am in winter.
Well, I wish you good challenges and until next time!
Yours sincerely,
Pig Antanas