The 5 am Lawyer.
The Carpe Diem Whatsapp Club for Lawyers
There is no reason or excuse for one to burn the midnight oil when one can rise and shine at 5 am. Even as a Lawyer, there are seldom such tight deadlines that need to be completed post-midnight, which cannot be done first thing in the morning. It is a no-brainer if you pause for a moment and think. We are late sleepers and late risers simply because of the lives we lead. The Smartphone is a big villain here and most of us use it more out of habit than out of a genuine need to plug into the other bigger villain- Internet and it cannot be denied that they defeat the very purpose of being productive. If anything Smartphones + Internet, they aid, abet and assist procrastination.
There is a clear co-relation between waking up early and earthly success. Here is a link that should serve as an inspiration.
Here is a list of 21 successful people who wake up incredibly early
How many days (or nights) have we stayed awake beyond 10 pm without actually having any significant work to do? Worse still, how often do we stay awake beyond 10 doing absolutely nothing of benefit or joy- not meeting a close friend, not doing anything creative, not engaging in a family talk or meal, but simply staying away and wasting time that could be used by the body to sleep and rejuvenate.
Win the Morning, to Win the Day
The very first time I understood the importance of Morning Rituals is when I read Tim Ferris' 'Tools Of Titans'. I remember reading about a Navy Admiral, and now after locating that Admiral on the internet, I am glad to share that the first thing I do when I wake up is to DO UP MY BED!
Here's why,
William McRaven’s, a former United States Navy Admiral, in his ceremonial speech in University of Texas back in 2014, recalled a morning routine with his subordinates during regular training or preparation for duty, which later became his mantra as an inspiration for today’s generations.
“If you want to change the world, start making your own bed every morning,” he claimed
and then he added something, which drove the point home:
he added:
"The competency of handling big matters starts from handling (seemingly) small matters."
As for the case of McRaven’s subordinates, their success is determined by the discipline of doing intensive and repetitive small matters during training. One specific habit that he mentioned is making the bed right after getting up.
(Source of the above Information: Internet Article on the website MEDIUM titled 'Here’s why you should make your bed right after you wake up'- by somebody called H.I.M )
The Carpe Diem Whatsapp Club
I have started a 5 am club that serves as an inspiration for other Lawyers to endeavor to rise and shine early in the morning. There you will find others who endure the struggles of the day and still manage to sleep early and wake up early.
Join the Carpe Diem Club WhatsApp Group: https://chat.whatsapp.com/EzMUBuMpV6ZIPfQEOvNXTa
Unlike those other Whatsapp groups, you will find ONLY motivation and inspiration to rise at 5 am and share and partake interesting knowledge sessions, short audio and video clips from other Lawyers on varied subjects.
Those of you who are seasoned may just as well teach youngsters on that Whatsapp Group a thing or two about great lawyering and advocacy. You are most welcome should you decide to join and add value.
And here below are links to 2 days of my online Bootcamp for Law Students and young and aspiring Lawyers…both focused on the need to sleep early and rise early….
This may be perceived as being irreverent by those who have already climbed the ladders of success. However, it will of use to those they are mentoring.
Hope it inspires young lawyers to change the way they look at sleep, and waking up.
Day 0 of Bootcamp, How to prepare for Day-1 wake up at 5 am
Nithia