It’s worth it? I heard that question this morning. If it was from my wife Lisa. She knows me too well. Let me back up a bit. I was in the bathroom shaving this morning when my wife came in. His greeting was not: “Good morning dear, how did you sleep?” It was, “So … you stayed up until 2:00 in the morning. You know what that does to you. Is it worth it?” I didn’t give him an answer. He didn’t have a good one to give away.

I have a character flaw. It’s not knowing when to drop a project and go to bed. I was working on some articles last night and before I knew it, it was almost 2:00 am. Lisa had gone to bed a long time ago and was fast asleep. When I got into bed, she didn’t wake up, didn’t turn over, didn’t even move a muscle. I thought I was safe and that she would never know how late I went to bed. How he knew what time I went to bed is a mystery to me. It is one of those mysteries of women that men cannot decipher.

So she had me. He asked me if it was worth it because he knows from experience the price I usually pay for staying up late.

It’s worth it?

Before I can determine if it’s worth it, I need to find out why I stay up late, what the benefits are, and what price I end up paying for those benefits. Then I can determine if the benefits are worth the price I pay.

Why am I staying up late?

For different people, there are different reasons why they stay up late. If you have this problem then you know what your reasons are. Maybe you stay up late watching TV. Or maybe you love to read. Maybe it’s endless video games or surfing the internet or chatting with girls online. You know what your reasons are.

For me, it usually involves a project that I want to do. Because my days are so full, I feel like the only time I have is late at night. I see that I have an hour before my normal time to go to bed and I think: “Great, I have spent a whole hour. I can write an article in that amount of time. So I will start working on my project. Invariably, I will. Whatever I’m working on takes a lot longer than I expected, I greatly underestimate how long it will take.

The next thing that happens is that I look at my watch and think, “Well, I’ll work until eleven.” Before I know it, it’s midnight and I haven’t finished my project yet. But now my ideas flow. I’m progressing. I have my momentum going. So I think, “I can’t quit now! I can’t stop my flow of ideas and thoughts right when they’re going!”

It is very difficult for me to stop a project in the middle. I feel compelled to do so. I hate loose ends. So I keep going.

By now I’m thinking, “Wow, it’s too late. I’ve already screwed it up. I better go on.” So I keep working until the project is finished.

And so, my friend, I ended up working until two in the morning!

What are the benefits of staying up late?

So I have to ask myself: What benefits do I get if I stay up late?

1. Of course, the main benefit is doing something.
2. Probably the next biggest benefit on my mind is TIME. Time seems to be running short for me, so whenever I can find a block of time I take it.
3. The next benefit would be that time is uninterrupted time. Not many people bother you at that time of night. Nobody schedules meetings. Nobody calls you. You are free from distractions. So having an uninterrupted block of time is a huge benefit.
4. Another benefit is going to bed feeling accomplished, having finished a project.

What is the price I pay for staying up late?

Let’s now take a moment and examine what I am paying for those benefits. What are the real costs to me? As I think about what it costs me, I have come to realize that there is a huge ripple effect that comes into play. One thing seems to lead to another. Let me explain.

• The first domino to fall is that I feel extremely tired in the morning and it lasts all day.
• The next domino is that I feel terrible. In addition to being exhausted and tired, I often have a headache from lack of sleep. A lot of times that headache turns into a full-blown migraine and then I’m sure to lose the day.
• The next domino to fall is my inability to get up on time. Because I feel so tired that I can’t get up at my usual time.
• The next price I pay is to get that “look” from my wife when she says, “So, you stayed up until 2:00 in the morning.” I could see the look of disappointment on his face because he knows what it costs me when I stay up too late. So the real cost is the erosion of my relationship with my wife.
• The next cost is overdue. Because I didn’t get up on time, it messed up my schedule for the whole day.
• Because I’m late, the next price I pay is not being able to exercise in the morning.
• Next is the cost of not being able to do my daily personal study session. Every morning I try to study and reflect on good books. I can’t do that when I don’t have time.
• Another big cost is not having time to plan my day.
• Because my day is not planned, I am unable to accomplish important tasks that I should have done.
• The next big price I pay is more stress in my life. Because I am behind schedule, I am in a great hurry and my stress level increases.
• Because I am stressed, then I am in a bad mood.
• What puts me in a worse mood is not having time for breakfast, one of the most important meals of the day. So in addition to feeling sick, tired, and having a headache, I’m also hungry.
• Then I get to work late. Here I come walking to work 45 minutes or an hour late. What does that look like for my boss, my subordinates, and the employees I manage in my department? Not good. Great price.
• When I finally get to work, my productivity and ability to think clearly suffer because I am so exhausted.
• The general effect continues throughout the day. Because I got to work late in the morning, that means I have to stay late to be fair to my employer.
• Because I had to work late and then I come home late. The price I pay is to receive, for the second time that day, that “look” from my wife when I walk through the door. He doesn’t have to say anything, I can see the disappointment in his eyes.
• Since I come home late, I miss having dinner with my family.
• If I have meetings or commitments in the evening, then I have to gobble up my dinner or miss dinner entirely because I don’t have time.
• The tendency to fail in other areas of my life. When I’m tired, hungry, angry, discouraged, stressed, and depressed, I’m more susceptible to failing in other areas where I’ve made commitments. Failure loves company.
• Finally, the last domino to fall is the cost of having a general feeling of frustration and disappointment with myself. My self-esteem takes a big hit.

As you can see, the dominoes keep falling, one after another. It’s amazing how one small decision from the night before affects the entire day after.

It’s worth it?

After weighing the benefits against the costs, it is clear that it is a huge price you pay for those 2 or 3 hours that to think You’re winning by staying up late

What is the solution?

Well duh! The solution is to stop staying up late, right? Easier said than done. Here are some ideas to help you master this part of your life.

First: You have to make a serious commitment to yourself that you are not going to stay up late for any reason.

Second: You have to have a deadline to go to bed. This means that you must decide what time you will be in bed with your head on the pillow and the lights off.

Third: You have to determine how long it takes you to get ready for bed so that you know what time you should start going to bed. It takes time to brush your teeth, put on your pajamas, and whatever else you do before bed. If your goal is to be in bed by 11:00 PM. M. And it takes you half an hour to get ready for bed, so it should start at 10:30 p.m. M.

Four: You need to think ahead and make sure you don’t start anything that you can’t finish or finish by 10:30 PM. M. He can’t go to the movies at 9:30 PM because he knows a movie is about two hours long and it takes time to get there and time to get home and you will never make it.

Well, I have made a very convincing argument against staying up late. I have shown that the costs far outweigh any benefit to be gained. I have also presented a simple plan to change this habit. And I have done it all for your benefit. Now my challenge to you is to follow him.

Rule your life, rule your life

Thanks.