I'm losing it

Ah, Spring.

Well, almost Spring. We’re about a week or so away from its official start, but that hasn’t stopped me from fully immersing myself in it.

The sun spreads its dazzling light and soothing warmth, we lose the grayness of Winter as everything switches to green, and trees explode with blooms. It’s all about transformation, where anything seems possible, and there’s generally a feeling of a fresh start.

This is the time of year that energizes me the most, with the exception of the second Sunday in March.

While Spring is my all-time favorite season, I wasn’t always a huge fan of the time change that precedes it.

You see, growing up, I was a total night owl.*

Even as a young girl, my natural inclination would be to wake up at 10 am and go to sleep around 2 am.

This drove my parents crazy, who were, of course, morning people and wondered why the hell their sweet girl was still awake/sleeping when they were doing the opposite.

(Sorry, mom and dad!)

And Daylight Savings? Fuggetaboutit.

So yeah, “springing ahead” was never at the top of my list of ‘must-dos.’

I mean, why would you willingly want to lose something, especially when that something is an hour of sleep?

Yes, I know it means an extra hour of daylight, blah blah blah. But when you’re a night owl, that logic doesn’t pencil out.

Until it does.

When I started dating my now-husband (who is the poster child for the Early Bird Club), I initially struggled with his pre-coffee level of get-up-and-go and bemoaned his 10 pm sleepiness.

But after decades together, his morning person ways have rubbed off on me, and I’ve not only become an early riser; I’m a believer:

I’m not waking up early; I’m getting a head start on the day.

It’s funny, for someone who welcomes and embraces the quintessential season of transformation, I sure fought this one.

They call this mindset shift “reframing,” and you can apply it to other aspects of your life and career as well. Instead of viewing a transition as a loss, see it as a change.

After all, change can be good. Reframing a situation as a change rather than a loss means accepting that things will be different.

And yes, sometimes change means losing something to gain something better, whether that’s an hour of sleep or something that’s no longer serving you in your career. Remember, if you’re not changing it, you’re choosing it—and do you really want to hang on to stuff that’s holding you back?

And speaking of letting things go, in my latest Forbes article, I share the eight things to lose that are preventing your career progress.

And before I go, just for fun, tell me: Are you an early bird or a night owl? (Or maybe, like me, a former night owl turned early bird?) Whatever the case, I hope you enjoy your extra hour of daylight.

Shine on,

Amy

P.S. First time here? (Aww… hey there, newbie!) Be sure to check out the website to catch up on previous issues.

P.P.S. When I’m not writing this newsletter or embracing all things Spring, I’m a social media ghostwriter (yep, that’s a thing), helping founders, entrepreneurs, and CXOs craft their stories to communicate and connect better by magnifying their reach and impact. (Think personal branding and thought leadership.) Learn more here.

P.P.S.S. Now that we’re inbox-exclusive, you might want to follow my interweb shenanigans too. I’m on Forbes, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and now, Clubhouse. (No link for that last one. If you’re also there, you can find me at @amyblaschka.)

P.P.P.S.S. One more thing: If you think this post would resonate with others, feel free to share it with your friends. Or better yet, invite them to join our Illuminate Me tribe!

Click the button to spread some sunshine.

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*Did you know that a chronotype is a label for people’s innate biological rhythms?

Some people naturally go to sleep early and wake up early (what we tend to think of as an early bird or lark), and others go to sleep late and wake up late (a night owl). According to research, larks make up about 15 percent of the population, and owls make up about 20 percent of the population. (Go #TeamOwl!) The rest of us are somewhere in the middle but lean in the lark direction. Even more fascinating (and validating) is that your chronotype can change over time.

To learn more about your chronotype and how to align it with your day for maximum productivity and happiness, I highly recommend When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing by one of my favorite authors, Dan Pink.