“You’re definitely a morning person” I was told a few days ago. Funny that – on the same day I was told I definitely wasn’t a morning person! So what am I reallly? Well, it’s irrelevant what I am – somedays I choose to be up early and others I love a good lie-in. The point is that we very quickly categorise people and put labels on them.
Some of these labels will stick – until we use them for ourselves. Just today I was discussing with one of my coaching clients, his perception of procrastinating. Seems he had been accusing himself of procrastinating, when in fact he is a very efficient and effective person. This is obvious from his achievements and also the way he conducts himself replying to emails and meetings.
What label are you attaching to yourself? What label is going to serve you best.
As human beings, we are deleters of information. Yes, that’s right, we delete more information than we take in. In order to survive, we stereotype, categorise and label the experiences that we have been exposed to. When we have a sequence of events that take place after meeting someone of a particular culture, we may make a rule. Every other person that seems to have a similar culture, we will probably pre-judge according to our previous experience.
Now we know through history that stereotypes can be wrong, they can be very wrong. Particularly when prejudice is attached to this. Lets get back to the labels you’re using for yourself? Where do they come from?
Growing up on a dairy farm, anyone who got out of bed after 5:30am was definitely not a morning person! Everything is relative! When I shared with a colleague that I often attend calls at 5:30am, he was convinced that I AM a morning person. Who is right? Well, both of them I guess! Does it even matter?
It’s good to know when you are at your best, which times are your most productive – but you can change your cycles to get up earlier if you want, or rest longer too. I love sleeping in on holidays and weekends – and think it’s important if you need the rest or like to do so.
What do you love to do? What labels are going to serve you to get this done?
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