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Shift Your Perspective; Shift Your Life

I have been baking up a storm (today it’s pumpkin sweet rolls) on a foot that I burned on a hot sidewalk -so much so, that I can not run or even bike-and I lost all sense of time and realized that I didn’t have a post ready for today, so I swiped this from another website (RELAX!  It’s my website and I gave myself permission to reprint!).

Shift Your Perspective; Shift Your Life

My father was a night owl and could get by with 4-hours of sleep a night.  He worked his ass off when I was a kid, usually holding three jobs at a time as a print/radio/television  journalist. Because his downtime was limited he worked constantly, dividing his time between each job.

I definitely learned my work ethic from my father.  As a kiddo, I tried to emulate his sleep patterns, but always fell short.  As an adult, I’ve tried many times to get by on less sleep, yet have failed spectacularly, no matter how I tried to manipulate the hours.

I’ve stayed up into the late night/early morning hours, only to need a few days to recover from my lack of sleep.

I’ve gotten up at the crack o’smack, before the sun rises, only to crawl into bed by 9pm.

Today, my typical day runs like this: I’m up by 7am, at my desk by 7:15-7:30am.  I work all day, at least until 6pm, have dinner with Husband, goof off for a couple of hours and then it’s back to my desk for at least another hour, maybe two.  By 10-10:30 pm, I’m done.

My need for more than 4-hours of sleep has often left me with pangs of guilt. It eats at me, even now, because there is so much to be done, as I try to make something of this site, along with the ordinary everyday things I typically do: running, writing about running, running a household, making a fool of myself on Skype with Sweet E, mowing with a self-propelled mower that no longer self-propels, caulking, amusing myself on facebook…you know, the important stuff.

So much to do, so few hours. My annoyance is a constant when I’m under the working gun.

Recently, Husband and I the following conversation.

Me: You know, Daddy could work off of 4-hours of sleep and he got a boatload done in his life.

Husband: Yeah, but that didn’t work out so good for him; he died at 60.

M: True… ~wondering if there is any correlation between folks who rarely sleep and an early death~…but, there’s so much I need to get done every day, and my brain doesn’t want to cooperate with my body.  It literally shuts the party down before I’m ready to call it a day.  I wish I could find a way around it.  I feel like I’m not working hard enough; not getting enough done.

Then, Husband says something so profound to me, something that immediately and completely resonates in my lizard brain as TRUTH, that I’m rendered speechless for a moment.

H: You run hot, baby.  You get more done in a day than most people.  You use ALL THE HOURS (I’m paraphrasing on this last one, but it’s essentially what he said).

Even now as I write the words I wonder why I hadn’t figured this one out before.

I. Run. Hot.

Or in Patti-speak: balls-to-the-wall, baby.

Almost instantly, the guilt over my need for sleep slipped away.  Instead of focusing on what I was getting done, which is quite a lot, I was focusing on what still needed to be done (which is still quite a lot).

A shift in perspective is a wonderful thang, y’all.

I have always begrudgingly accepted that 9-hours of sleep is what I needed for optimal performance, but now there’s a huge difference, now I embrace what I need in order to power through each day.

Getting the sleep I need = running hot.  Running hot = getting ‘er done, Patti-style.

I told Husband that I wished I had this conversation with him 20-years ago.  I could have saved myself so much grief.

You see why I married him, right?

It’s a new day, baby.

What about you?  What are you beating yourself up over that could be changed with a shift in perspective?

 

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Connie

Thursday 15th of August 2013

I am someone who needs 8-9 hrs of sleep every night. Always have! And it has always really made me mad! I wanted to do so much more than I do. My mom use to watch me (she was amazing at getting up early and working all day into her 80's) and say that I could work circles around anyone. Well still it wasn't enough to suit me. So, I guess I am right there with you, changing my perspective! Thanks for linking with me.

Mrs. Tucker

Friday 16th of August 2013

A fellow sleeper! I feel so much better about my need since Husband's revelation. I have read your site and I have no doubt you run circles around people!

Betty Taylor

Tuesday 13th of August 2013

I go on too little sleep. I wish I could figure out how to get things done in less hours. I normally use 5-6 hours sleep.

Mrs. Tucker

Tuesday 13th of August 2013

5-6 hours of sleep and I'd be a bear. I'm amazed at those who can do it though.

Cindi

Monday 12th of August 2013

I truly love this! And I have been struggling with the fact that I now require more sleep than I ever have. But, I want to be at my best, and if that means sleeping a bit more, so be it!

Mrs. Tucker

Monday 12th of August 2013

It's a self-accepting revelation. I thank God Husband pointed it out to me.

Pamela

Saturday 10th of August 2013

As a young mother, I wrote from 4-7 in the mornings. I didn't want to take time from my daughters. Now at 55, it just doesn't work for me. I think with every season we adjust to a new perspective. Love how God used your "help meet" to help you see how amazing you really are.

Mrs. Tucker

Saturday 10th of August 2013

I think you are on to something about how we adjust to the different seasons of our life. I certainly have seen that in my own life. And yes, I loved how it was Husband was the one to point out the obvious.

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