Today, I Adjusted My Alarm

My boss has been out of the country for a month and in a few days, she'll be coming back. Of course, her absence doesn't mean lazy days ahead. But I want to be honest - with no one to check on me, for several days I felt complacent. I often came to work late, my work pace was a bit sluggish, and I often get distracted by little things. 

This is not my intention. I find myself at best when I work alone, especially when I am free from the pressure and presence of my boss. But these past few days, something is off. I am having episodes of complacency. 

Perhaps it's due to my change of status? Working single and now working as a married man may have caused me to be lax in my work. Or perhaps it's due to overwork? I have been constantly on the move in the past months and maybe - just maybe - my subconscious is telling me to slow down a bit this time. 

Insert clip: "nobody's gotta know"; "they gotta know" with matching suspenseful music

However, this morning I want things to be different. Last quarter, I remember sharing how much I value having a good work ethic and how it reflects my personality and integrity. I want to get back from where I left off. I don't want my testimony to be ruined by my frequent tardiness and sloppy output. 

So I adjusted my alarm. 

But here's the thing. I adjusted my alarm from 5:30 am to 6:00 am. 

If you're wondering why instead of moving the notch earlier, I moved it another 30-minute later, this is because I want to outsmart my body clock. Whenever the alarm sounds at 5:30 in the morning, my mind convinces me that I am too early to wake up, brush my teeth, take my breakfast, and morning shower. I can still make use of that 30 minutes to sleep more. I should not waste the opportunity. 

And the gullible, sleepyhead me will oblige willingly. Who am I to resist? Who am I to let a golden opportunity to sleep for another 30 minutes pass? 

But that seemingly harmless 30-minute is a prelude to a minimal 30-minute late DTR. Folks, never ever believe the lie and temptation of "just a little longer" sleep. More often than not, you'll lose the battle. Trust me, and all the people who were victimized.

And when I set the alarm at 6:00 am, I know I have a limited time to squeeze in my daily routine. I have to move fast - which is one of the difficult things to do for me because I am kind of a slowpoke. But I need to trick my mind and body that I should be moving or else I am going to be late again. My motivation and personal challenge are to arrive first in the office and surprise my officemates that I am already working while they are still arriving one by one. 

And today, it worked! As early as I opened my PC, I jotted down all the things I need to do, and come 10:00 am I already finished some of the biggest bulks of the week. I realized I just need a little push, a little trick, a little threat. I have become too complacent with the work I'm doing and I am not proud of that. I want to redeem myself.

I missed the feeling of giving your best at work. I missed the feeling of being sure you're not shortchanging yourself. Not for your boss, not for the organization, but as a Christian, I do it for the Lord. 

And I'm making sure that my 6:00 am alarm will still ring tomorrow morning. No more snoozing, this time!