6:45 AM - Buzzzzzzzzzz *Cue daily alarm*

*Roll over…slowly open my eyes…* [Enter my thoughts]…Geez, I’m tired…it’s so early…why do I have to get up right now…OH WAIT, I don’t actually have to be up until 7…*Hits snooze button*…

Every morning, a battle wages inside of me. The forces of laziness and discipline clash, internal sparks fly and a victor emerges. Unfortunately, what usually wins is my hand reaching for the snooze button.

I certainly don’t think I’m alone in my morning ritual of clinging to my covers and pleading to the heavens for “10 more minutes.” But I’ve discovered that this seemingly insignificant moment to start my day can have huge consequences. When I bound out of bed with enthusiasm, I subconsciously become more excited about whatever I’m doing that day (even the most boring activities). On the contrary, when I give in to my weariness and go back to sleep for a few minutes, I begin my day in a fog of apathy.

Think back to some of the most exciting days of your life: maybe it was the day you embarked on a study abroad program or the morning of a big job interview. Did you hit the snooze button and delay the start of your day? Probably not. You were naturally energized and wanted to jump out of bed.

But in your day-to-day life, there is not always a study abroad trip on the horizon. Far more often it is something much less appealing like a chemistry class or a doctor’s appointment. Thus, if you want your daily life to be more fulfilling, you have to actively CHOOSE to approach the day with more excitement. And the most tangible way to express this choice is to leap out of bed as soon as you hear your alarm in the morning.

Your life is ultimately the sum of the decisions you make. Some are more significant than others of course, and some don’t seem to matter at all. But if you want to be prepared for the big decisions that inevitably come in your life, you have to get in the habit of conquering the small moments.

So here’s my challenge to you: commit to jumping out of bed right when your alarm goes off each morning. And each day when you get up, walk to the mirror and tell yourself how excited you are for the day…that no matter what happens, you will be passionate and joyful.

I’ll leave you with the words of Hal Elrod (who said it far better than I ever could): “There is too much life to be lived for you to hit the snooze button. In fact, I believe it’s ‘seize the day’, not ‘snooze the day!’”