When you were a little kid, you probably got out of bed without thinking about it. You didn’t lie in bed mulling over all the things you had to do for the day. You’d fall asleep at night and the next thing you knew, you were awake. And the next thing you knew, you were up and running.
Why can’t we be that way again?
We can. We just need extra motivation. You see, as we got older, we accumulated responsibilities and piled on all kinds of chores and tasks. Bouncing out of bed no longer happened because that meant wanting to get up to do all those chores and tasks. But this is what I did to get my bounce back:
Have something you can look forward to each day (sounds simple and cliché but bear with me). It needs to be something you enjoy that is worth getting up for—something that motivates or inspires you. It could be anything, preferably occurring in the morning so it can work its magic on you. Ideally you would obviously love the work you do, the life that you lead, or the relationships you have to bounce out of bed for. We all know that isn’t always the case. Therefore, it doesn’t matter if your entire day is filled with things you dread—as long as you focus on the one thing that gives a spring to your step and of course, happens to be also good for you.
Let me share what I started doing recently. I got tired of waking up to what felt like Groundhog Day with the same old routine. I didn’t like that I was dragging myself out of bed. So I found two things I could get excited about: the Five Tibetan Rites and Yakult.
Considered to be the elixir of youth, the Tibetan Rites are exercises that supposedly make the seven vortexes in your body spin at a higher and uniform rate for rejuvenation. So while I may not literally bounce out of bed since my back is stiff after sleeping and is prone to injury if I do, I am motivated to get going for this activity because I love it. It clears my mind, smooths my skin, and improves my stamina.
Then there’s Yakult, a probiotic drink from Japan that I imbibed throughout childhood. It is the best tasting liquid in the universe. I never knew it was a probiotic. No wonder it came in such a small bottle and was only given to us once a day. It wasn’t until several years ago when I noticed it selling in America that I found out it was created as a probiotic! Thus it was to my sheer delight that I found them at a nearby supermarket. So now, after breakfast, I grab one from the fridge and take sips so I can thoroughly savor all 2.7 fluid ounces. It is my happy potion.
Be sure to have laser focus on whatever you pick to be your raison d’etre because, as you well know, we can get easily distracted.
I don’t know when these two things will lose their charm, but if they do, I am sure I will find something else. That shouldn’t be hard because the simpler something is, the easier to do and adopt. It is even better if you add more so as long as they don’t become a chore. We have enough of those!
What can be your motivation to bounce out of bed?
Check out my book The Power of Zero Expectations: 7 Steps to Freedom from Disappointment on Amazon.
FRANCES KU 