My wife and I slept in last weekend.  There was a significant snow and ice storm in Ohio…and we had no specific place to be.  So we took the opportunity to rest.  It felt good.

However, later that day, Amy told me that “Experts say you are supposed to wake up every day at the same time.”  Despite the fact that we felt we needed the extra rest, she felt a tinge of guilt.  If the experts say we are supposed to get up at the same time every day, maybe we should follow their advice.

While I appreciate what the experts say, it’s important to know thyself.

For the most part, I agree with the experts.  I talk a lot about the importance of sleep and the power of routines.  I live by them. But within those routines, it’s also vitally important to know yourself.  The experts can’t get inside your brain and your body.  Only you know how you really feel.

• The experts may say we should wake up at the same time every day, but on this weekend we could use the extra rest.
• While the experts say you should get up early in the morning (and I do), my wife is more productive at night.
• Many experts say that you need to work out as soon as you get out of bed, I know that I won’t keep that up.

So while it’s important to study what the experts say, the power comes from molding those best practices into something that really helps you.  It’s important to truly know yourself.  Now, this is not an excuse to let yourself off the hook.

It’s doesn’t mean you should sleep your life away and never work out.  It does, however, mean that creating routines that you can actually maintain is the best way to succeed.

Read.  Learn.  Grow.

Listen to the experts to train yourself.  But keep in mind that there is no one that is a better expert on you…than you.

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