It’s not what you think.

I don’t know why but sometimes I name inanimate objects. Our barbecue grill is named Bernie. Our coffeemaker is named Jack. And my alarm clock is named Tappy. Hey, don’t judge me! These objects actually have personalities and also, shut up.

Tappy’s been with me since freshmen year at Boston University. He made sure I got up for a lot of important things: classes, exams, flights, and middle-of-the-night fraternity events.

A few years ago, I even brought Tappy to the hotel room in which I slept the night before my wedding day. Some things you just don’t leave to chance…or the hotel wake-up call service.

For most of my adult years, though, he made sure I made it to work. I counted on him and he never let me down.

But somewhere along the line, I started hating him.

I didn’t tap the button anymore, I was slamming it. I’d hit snooze 3 or 4 times every morning. Can alarm clocks be assholes? Yes. Yes they can and my alarm clock was an asshole.

But in 2015, I realized something. I didn’t hate Tappy. I hated what he was telling me to do. To get up and go work on things that didn’t matter that much to me.

I didn’t want to go do those things anymore. This realization was an eye-opener. A game-changer. I apologized to Tappy (just kidding. I didn’t actually apologize out loud to my alarm clock but also yeah I did).

It wasn’t long after that when I made a career change and started my own online music accessory supply business. And since then, Tappy and I have been getting along just fine.

Because now, I don’t even set the alarm.

Here’s the thing: I wake up earlier now than I ever have. Vertical and awake at 6:45am every morning. I don’t set him because I don’t need him. Not because I no longer work in an environment that judges you on arrival and departure times, but because I genuinely can’t wait to get up and go do what I have to do.

Now, when he has to be set to wake me up, it’s only for great things like meeting a friend for an early coffee or making a 6am flight to start vacation.

When I left my job to start a business and create my own job, there were a lot of differences – many of them I am still working through. For example, what I do now is much more difficult and the amount I work now is at least the same, but probably more. But not having to set my alarm clock is the most noticeable difference because it is how I start my every_single_day.

Ok listen, it’s not all puppy dogs and ice cream.

I don’t wake up every morning singing “zippidy-doo-dah” (or however you spell it) and if a bluebird actually landed on my shoulder, I’d probably freak out and punch it square in the beak, but for the most part, I have my mornings back.

How I feel about my alarm clock is a good measure
of how I feel about what I have to do every day.

It’s been two years, so we’ll see how long this all lasts. Waking up in a better mood may not help productivity, but it sure as hell doesn’t get in the way like a bad one does.

#bewhatyoumake