You are loved. So go to bed.
I wrote an article some time ago in which I humble-bragged about my early morning ritual of getting up at 4 a.m. to work on my side-hustle.
Yeah, that was a bad idea.
Not because I didn’t get a lot of work done. I did. Lots in fact.
But because of what my “productivity” cost me.
Here’s what I mean.
The Opportunity Cost of My Early Morning Ritual
As I continued to get up early, I was more tired throughout the day. This led to all kinds of problems. Not the least of which was my continual snapping at my students and children. (And I really don’t need any encouragement in this area.)
When I tried to correct my “sleep deficit” by going to bed earlier, I only made things worse by cheating my wife of quality time that we would ordinarily spend together after the kids had gone down for the night.
Instead of watching Downton Abby with my wife or talking through the events of the day, I snored my way toward today’s golden-ticket, the 4 a.m. wake-up call.
Finally, there was the spiritual cost.
As the months went by, I began to feel this friction in my heart that Christ was somehow less than pleased with me refusing to heed my natural body rhythms and unique demands of my current life season….and for what?
For capitalism, apparently.
Why Do You Hustle So Much? Really.
I recently read an article by Rosie Spinks called Waking up early won’t change your life – but it’s good for capitalism, that tied this idea together for me.
This quote of hers really got my attention:
…the early-rising canon doesn’t seem to question the fact that the primary motivator for maximizing our mornings is to make more room in the day for work. As the demands of employers extend far beyond what’s possible in the eight-hour workday, early-rising advocates recommend not cutting back on work, but simply finding creative new ways to accommodate it. That’s because the waking up early isn’t really particularly good for you: It’s good for capitalism. As Nicholas Lezard writes in his review of Jonathan Crary’s 24/7: Late Capitalism and the Ends of Sleep, “Today we are willing connivers in our own sleeplessness … as far as late capitalism is concerned, we are nothing more than ultimately disposable units for keeping economies running.”
Yikes.
Now, before you think I’m some kind of lazy bum louse who, in capitalism, has found a convenient scapegoat for my laziness, allow me to list a few favorable reasons for rising in early in pursuit of one’s work.
Some Good Reasons to Rise and Shine
First of all, there is something to be said for the benefits that come with pursuing one’s passion, even at great personal cost. And writing certainly is a passion of mine and a gift I feel compelled to develop. And pay the price I must.
Secondly, as my aforementioned article states, it is important for each of us, men especially, to pursue work that makes us feel alive. Writing absolutely does this for me. And as such helps me to be a better father, husband, and Christ follower.
Third, there are certain seasons in life that just seem aimed at robbing us of sleep. Having to get small children off to school every morning despite spending the previous night “moonlighting” in order to make ends meet is one such example. (My wife often runs this gauntlet with never a complaint.)
Fourth, quite possibly you’re that person who just straight up loves to be early to bed and early to rise. Good for you. And may you ever be healthy, wealthy, and wise.
Unfortunately for me, none of these were my primary motivation for cheating myself of sleep.
Capitalism was.
Too Much Capitalism
And I’m probably not the only one who has struggled with this. After all, we mustn’t kid ourselves here in the west. It’s almost impossible to NOT blur the lines between pursuing work that matters and indenturing ourselves as capitalistic sweatshop slaves, AKA workaholics.
I certainly did.
I began to realize this when things became too much about:
- How much money I might make if I hit so-and-so benchmark.
- How many subscribers and social media followers I would get if I catered to just the right online algorithm.
- How I might make it big with just the right article, like (insert name of superstar online entrepreneur) did…and in just four easy steps too.
Me. Me. Me. Capitalism. Capitalism. Capitalism.
But Jesus didn’t die that I might live my best capitalist life now. He died that I might “have life and life more abundantly.” And these disparate pursuits often come at the expense of the other.
But thankfully, God helped un-blur my personal line between purpose and profit and realign myself with He wanted to accomplish in me, in this season.
Here’s how.
How To Slow Down And Hear From God
At the beginning of the year, I surrendered to the nagging in my heart and began to consider that all the running around I was doing, quite possibly, consisted of way too much wasted motion. I knew my writing was a pursuit that God was directing me toward and that it ministered to others. But I also became aware that I didn’t know where the line between workaholism and godly stewardship of my gift was anymore.
So I did a curious thing, I prayed about it.
I pumped the brakes on chasing blindly after my side-hustle, stilled my hands, and opened my ears to God.
On my lunch breaks at work, instead of grinding away on my latest article in front of a screen, I talked with God on prayer walks underneath His big open sky.
When I did wake up early in the mornings, instead of writing, I prayed and read my Bible.
My wife and I also did some focused fasting and prayer with the express purpose of hearing God’s voice of direction in our lives. And like always, when we seek God’s voice, He absolutely speaks.
Get Better at Being a Bad Capitalist
As I abandoned the relentless pursuit of my latest, greatest idea, more and more it became clear that somewhere in all of my hustle, my own self-sufficiency had begun to disguise itself as honorable work ethic. And my carnal ambition was masquerading under the guise of holy hustle.
Thankfully, these revelations were not just convicting to my heart, but they were also liberating to my mind. As I began to place the security of my future in the hands of God’s divine providence rather than in own skill development, the weight of the world, the weight of capitalism lifted from my shoulders.
With this, I was also freed from the imprisoning idea that someone out there is always outworking me and this somehow makes me less of a less of a person.
Taking time off and entrusting God wholly with my future doesn’t make me less of a person, but it does make me one bad capitalist.
For all of you staggering beneath the weight of the rise-and-grind burden, I leave you with this.
It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep. (Psalm 127:2)
You are loved. So go to bed.
What About You?
Do you have an early morning ritual? What is it? Do you feel the benefits outweigh the opportunity cost? Why or why not.
Drop me a line in the “comments” section below. I would love to hear from you.