Diligent Sunday Newsletter / Issue #6
Editor's Note
Dear Diligent Sunday Readers,
We are now one week deeper into the year, and by the conclusion of the following week, we will have completed 13.5 per cent of the year.
Where do you stand with your objectives and aims? Do you feel you're on track, or have you encountered some early difficulties?
Alternatively, have the 13.5 per cent passed without any progress on the projects you wanted to initiate?
In this circumstance, doing nothing is not an option. Long-term unhappiness and depression result from allowing yourself to be swept along in the vortex of daily occurrences without ever putting your own plans into action.
Humans have an innate desire and urge to be in command of our destinies. Many people I know are in this situation, and they try to find a solution through "Bedtime Procrastination" in the late evenings and overnights. When the day is done, and everyone else has gone to bed, you can enjoy a few precious hours of alone. Possibly with a drink, a video game, some mindless TV, or any other means of intoxication.
One catch: the later it gets in the day, the less energized you'll be.
When you give yourself time, why only give yourself the worst part of the day?
If this sounds like you, I offer a straightforward suggestion that requires initial discipline but can yield significant long-term benefits.
Head to my essay under point (1) to learn how to fight bedtime procrastination!
Today at a Glance:
- Opinion/Essay: From Night Owl to Early Bird: Overcoming Bedtime Procrastination for a Fulfilling Life
- Motivation: The Power of Consistency: Achieving Success Through Tail Events
- Quote: How to attract the wrong person?
- Week Summary: This week's Deliberate Diligence posts
Keeping this in mind, I wish you a fantastic start to the week and that you receive relevant blog posts, tweets, videos, books, and podcasts that inspire you.
-- Martin from Deliberate-Diligence.com
From Night Owl to Early Bird: Overcoming Bedtime Procrastination for a Fulfilling Life
You're not alone if you struggle with bedtime procrastination and find it difficult to prioritize sleep. Many people struggle to balance their personal and professional responsibilities, leading to a pattern of staying up late and waking up feeling drained. However, the benefits of a good night's sleep are numerous, from improved mental and physical health to increased productivity and motivation. This article will explore the strategies and benefits of fighting bedtime procrastination and how you can make the most of your mornings.
This often involves staying late to complete tasks, engaging in activities, or avoiding going to sleep.
The individual may feel that by delaying bedtime, they can take back control of their day and make up for any perceived shortcomings.
However, this behaviour can lead to a vicious cycle of sleep deprivation, decreased productivity, and reduced control, ultimately exacerbating the original problem.
First, make sure you get plenty of shut-eye.
Wake up super early. 8:00 p.m. or 9:00 p.m., followed by another 30 to 60 minutes of reading; at the latest, 10:00 p.m. is recommended for going to bed.
Next, adjust your wake-up time, so it's proportional to your required sleep.
I can get up between 5 and 6 a.m. because I need exactly 8 hours.
Your objective must be to rise before your duties. Since none of my obligations begins until 9:00 in the morning, this works perfectly for me.
Even if you have kids, you may still carve out some time for yourself by adjusting your sleep and wake schedules. Try to win 5-6 a.m. for yourself, for instance.
Third, prioritise the items on your own personal agenda.
I'm not talking about urgent and crucial business responsibilities for your boss. I'm referring to the things you're working on because you love doing them.
Perhaps you want to create a book. Get fluent in another tongue? Become involved in the arts? Just want some quiet time to read? How about venturing out on your own as a sole practitioner? Or engage in physical activity. Exercising your back? Expand your range of motion? Etc.
Determine what is most vital to you by digging deep inside.
Fourth, devote some morning time to working on these areas daily.
In the morning, your mind and body are fresh and ready to take on the day, making it much simpler to focus and complete tasks than in the evening, when you've already had to process the day's stresses.
Swapping a meaningless evening for a deliberate morning is a game-changer.
Consider my situation as an illustration: Just ten years ago, my typical day consisted of waking up as near the start of work as possible (08:30, often even later) and immediately beginning the day's paid/corporate job.
When nighttime rolled around, I "enjoyed" it by watching movies and TV shows, hanging out with friends, and drinking four or five beers. Every night till after midnight.
My wife's work schedule forced me to adjust my bedtime to coincide with hers, which meant going to sleep between 20:00 and no later than 21:30.
From that point on, I consistently awoke between 5:00 and 6:00 am.
That is to say, I found myself with three to four hours to kill before reporting for duty, armed with an entire supply of fresh motivation and a clear head.
I used to waste this time on social media before realising its strategic potential. Starting with athletics, then keeping a journal, arts, and finally, working on Deliberate Diligence to create my own side business.
In every way, I am now a different person due to this. Somehow, my day lengthened magically by four hours. Half a workday is that!
So what exactly did I give up? Nothing at all because my prior evening had been a complete waste of time.
I cannot provide a solution, but I strongly advise you to find a way to have some of your morning time to yourself. This will result in an incredibly fulfilled life.
Let's use kids as an example and say you must start paying attention to them at 6 in the morning. To avoid this problem, I would get to bed earlier to rise before my children.
If 7 pm bedtime is the kid's bedtime, I, too, would turn in at 7 o'clock.
Example: An acquaintance of mine who put her child to bed at 7 p.m. continued to drink wine and hang out with pals while watching TV until 23 or 24 o'clock every night (=bedtime procrastination). Seeing her in the morning, she always complained about being worn out and how her motherhood was to blame.
If you knowingly place yourself in a situation where you only get five hours of sleep every single day, you won't have to wonder why you're miserable every morning.
Quote: How to attract the wrong person?
Motivation: The Power of Consistency: Achieving Success Through Tail Events
In today's fast-paced world, getting caught up in pursuing immediate results and instant gratification is easy. However, this mindset can often lead to frustration and disappointment when the desired outcomes don't materialize as quickly as we hope. The truth is a success is not always a linear process. It often comes in tail events resulting from consistent effort over time.
For content creators, a tail event might refer to a post or video that suddenly goes viral, generating enormous engagement and reach. While most posts may only receive modest attention, a few exceptional posts can significantly impact a content creator's overall success.
The concept of the tail refers to the idea that small, consistent actions can lead to significant results in the long run. This is because the cumulative effect of these actions compounds over time, leading to a considerable impact. For example, consider the story of a farmer who drops a single seed into the ground and waters it daily. At first, there may be no visible results, but with time, the seed will grow into a strong and fruitful tree.
Similarly, we must focus on consistency rather than immediate results in our personal and professional lives. This means putting in the work every day, even when there is no progress. It means sticking to our goals, even when the path is unclear, and maintaining our focus and determination, even when the road ahead is difficult.
One of the most significant benefits of this approach is that it helps us build resilience. When we focus on consistency, we are less likely to be discouraged by setbacks and failures. Instead, we view these challenges as opportunities to learn and grow. This mindset allows us to keep pushing forward, even when the desired results are not immediately forthcoming.
This week's Deliberate Diligence posts
Why the 4-Hour Work Week is a Myth but the 4-Hour Work Day is a Reality
The article discusses the concept of the 4-hour workweek popularized by Tim Ferriss in his book "The 4 Hour Work Week". I state that while creating passive income through outsourcing and automation is attractive, it is actually a myth and requires a significant amount of work to generate the promised passive income.
The article then shifts its focus to the 4-hour workday, which I argue is a reality for many individuals and businesses. I highlight the importance of focusing on productivity, efficiency, and prioritizing critical tasks in order to accomplish a great deal in just 4 hours.
I provide tips on how to achieve a 4-hour workday, such as prioritizing tasks, limiting distractions, using technology, delegating effectively, and focusing on results rather than time spent. I conclude that the 4-hour workweek is a myth, but the 4-hour workday is a reality for those who focus on productivity and efficiency.
How to Overcome Doomscrolling and Reclaim Your Time and Attention
The article is about the negative impacts of "doomscrolling" on our lives and how we can overcome this addiction. Doomscrolling refers to the constant exposure to negative news and social media apps that can lead to feelings of anxiety and depression and affect our happiness, motivation, and productivity.
The article provides six practical tips to overcome this addiction, including limiting morning screen time, restricting the use of addicting apps, monitoring screen time and usage, leaving the smartphone in a designated spot, using the phone's digital well-being features, and turning off unessential notifications.
The article concludes by emphasizing the importance of being mindful of our habits and taking control of our time and attention to live happier, more fulfilling lives.
My Favorite Tweets This Week
Ever wondered why some people act differently in public? 🤔
— Martin Weitzel | Deliberate Diligence Mindset (@DelDiligence) February 6, 2023
It's all about understanding the introvert vs. extrovert dynamic.
Introverts recharge by being alone, while extroverts gain energy from being with others.
This difference can explain a lot of behaviour. 🤓
Feeling overwhelmed by all the things you need to do? 🤯
— Martin Weitzel | Deliberate Diligence Mindset (@DelDiligence) February 11, 2023
Try the evergreen Ivy Lee method to get things done:
- List the 6 most important tasks for tomorrow
- Rank them by importance
- Do them first thing in the morning
It's that easy, and the results will surprise you! 🤩 pic.twitter.com/bzApyKnkiy
This concludes this week's issue. See you next week!
Best regards,
-- Martin from Deliberate-Diligence.com