I am a night owl. Anyone who knows me would tell you the same thing. I'm the kind of night owl who feels comfortable at 5 a.m., but only if I haven't slept yet. Waking up early just isn't my thing. I don't like alarm clocks, either. I'd embark on an alarm clock crusade -- that is, if they weren't an integral part of my morning routine.
Recently I accepted a promotion, though my boss eyed me dubiously when I agreed to put myself to the torturous task of waking up at 6 a.m. every weekend. I would've eyed me dubiously, too.
I've been working as an assistant manager for about a month now, and I want to share a little about what I learned in transitioning from the night owl to the early bird. Personally, I'm surprised at myself; I expected to be the punctual undead (hotel edition), but oddly enough, I ended up taking the role of the energetic powerhouse. I wanted to share this odd revelation of mine in the hopes that some other night owls might also catch that elusive worm.
I knew what I was getting myself into when I chose to work the morning shift. I knew I would have to do the one thing that has proved itself, time and time again, as one of my biggest challenges: go to bed early. For me, early is midnight, or a little later. I look at a clock that reads 1 a.m. and think, Oh, sweet! I've still got a couple hours. So that mindset added to a 6 a.m. wake-up call on weekends, accompanied by two shifts that end at 11 p.m. during the week, spells disaster. Normally. What I discovered, and now wish to tell all of you, is that you CAN surprise yourself!
Like I mentioned earlier, I thought I would be a zombie. But instead, my inner cheerleader came out. I would blame it on caffeine, but I'm a caffeine fiend, so that excuse is kind of void. My old roommate once described a state called “perky tired” -- a phrase I think works well here.
What I'm trying to say to all my fellow night owls out there is, if an opportunity presents itself but comes with the questionable commitment to the a.m. hours, don't immediately reject it, you beautiful nocturnal avian. You may surprise yourself!
So, night owls, go get that worm!
