Simon says...

Tip #37 - set as many alarms as YOU need to

This post is part of a series I’m writing from mid-June to the end of 2024 or whenever it ends, on things that helped me rebuild my confidence, sense of self, and increased my delight in my life after massive difficulty in multiple areas. For full details and post links to all 110 things, go to this post here.

Tip #37 - set as many alarms as YOU need

As an aside right at the start of this one, I must admit a couple things.

First, I’m not a morning person…I feel like you should know this about me already.

Second, when I realized that the hook in that song is actually from Godzilla was when Godzilla -One came out. I saw that by myself in theaters and got goosebumps all over it was incredible.

What a film.

Ugh what a sound. People are so cool, that came out of someone’s brain!

Anyway. The first time I heard that song was when it’s sampled in Charlie’s Angels and my fake boyfriend, dancing king Sam Rockwell annihilates us all with his evil feet and incredibly smooth straw work and inhalations…

You’re welcome. I know.

Anyway. I like that piece of sound. And Sam Rockwell dancing.

And it leads me to my next point - the tip of the day is (besides get the fuck up) just to do the things you gotta do in the ways that work for you.

I know this is basic advice.

All of this kindof is basic advice, and that’s part of why it works, it has to be basic.

Basic baby steps are sustainable and if you take them they add up to real differences and measurable improvements.

They work even better if you take them in the ways that you know are possible for you.

I don’t mean staying in where it’s cozy, that’s just steps in circles - you know where you’re in a growth place, in a place of fear, how far you’re able to extend yourself - I do believe you can tell that if you’re willing to be honest about it.

So, in the way you can tailor your processes, your systems to yourself, this is about doing that and removing whatever type of guilt or shame or embarrassment might sometimes be stuck to those things.

My example for is alarms.

I set many, every day.

I know I’m not a morning person and have accepted this about myself.

Anything that needs my actual attention by 7am, I struggle with. I can do it, and I do do it, all the time, but the struggle remains.

Listening to so many folks talk about productivity, there’s a lot of 5am club type stuff.

I used to be real real hard on myself for that.

Even thought there was something flawed or less than or borderline immoral about me for preferring to get up later or sleep in if I could.

Obviously that’s nonsense, I realize that now.

I’m fine, it’s just that my natural body clock isn’t exactly aligned with the vibes and flows of capitalism and the schedules of the traffic and the timeframes of my local school schedules and timelines to get everyone out of bed and myself ready to meet them.

And so, behold, a snapshot of my many alarms…

Whatever the name of the thing is at the time I just leave it. And then I set multiples every weekday, or every time I have to get up and am even slightly worried I might not stay conscious willingly.

These anchor me in my place in time relative to the way the world in my life has decided time is to be used that day.

And I’m the type of a person where if I have a zoom call or an appointment I need alarms ahead of time too to notify me and keep me current on my get ready for the thing process.

I like to know how much time I have left for things, I like to know how much time is approaching and how quickly it’s passing, and to make sure that I’m doing my best to get whatever level of ready I need to be doing for the thing.

It’s not an anxiety thing or a fear based thing either.

I can see it might cause some people anxiety to be reminded a lot of something coming up, so the multiple alarms might not be the right call but obvs as is the message of the thing - make it yours.

However it works for you, adjust to that.

For me, at least right now, doing this is just making sure I keep track of my most pressing things.

There’s a lot to keep track of as a single parent with a job and three kids.

It’s just a lot to remember. So I’ll set timers to switch someone’s laundry and to make sure I sign the permission slip, and for the practice and the game, and to get myself sorted as best I can also.

This - along with the 54321 method to just get things done that need doing as you think of them - help me to move with more intention and thus my time is working for me, not slipping to the floor when I’m not looking.

It’s a weird little thing, maybe, to have like 57 alarm options on my phone. But it works for me.

And because it works for me, I know how much time I have and how I need to spend it.

Another small example of this type of an idea is that I aim to get a carwash and do a thorough vacuum on the first weekend of the month.

Feels nice to start the month with a clean car, and when I’m trekking kids and a dog around to places, it’s nice to just associate the fresh month with the fresh car.

The point is, if it works, it’s not silly. And if you can figure out a way to make it work better, do that. Don’t ever feel silly for finding a solution that works for you.

Set as many alarms as you need for yourself.

Approach your unique needs and situation with honesty and kindness, and do whatever makes sense for it.

Keep going, keep doing it.

It’s way more important, the doing of the thing, than the how of the doing.

Keep stacking good days however you wanna.

ilysm - Marian