Jay's Journey

Image credit: Zac Durant on Unsplash

Let's start off with the fact that I've had jobs in my life that required me to get up early. And, in several of those jobs I've had to pull all-nighters many times.

And, while in the military, I've pulled 36-hour shifts before. I really don't recommend that as the mind and body gets severely punished when that amount of a lack of sleep is forced upon your body. It physically hurts to move when you've gone that long without sleep and without the aid of some equally toxic or dangerous chemical stimulant.

Having done my time in the past when it comes to waking up before the sun, hitting the ground running, I really do prefer to not do that anymore. To be fair, I've been waking up before my alarm, most days, but not all.

I also find that with my weight loss, I'm requiring less sleep. But all of that doesn't matter for the purpose of this post. What I aim to rant about are these early risers that love to call meetings a full hour before I'm scheduled to start work for the day.

You have to know them. They're the ones that extoll the virtues of getting an early start to the day, how wonderful it is, and all that crap. Save it. I hate getting up early because my circadian rhythm has always been that of the opposite of most people.

Translation: I'm a night owl. I have been for as long as I can remember, and it still holds true to this day. So, while most people love waking up at 4am, 5am, 6am, I prefer to be going to bed at those times after being up all night.

So, these early risers, love scheduling calls first thing in the morning. Like, right at at a time that doesn't even allow you to log on, get settled, read your emails to address anything urgent. Nope. MEETING.

It's just stupid. And, by the way, what are you trying to prove to the world? That you're awesome because YOU like to wake up early, and get right to meetings? Trust me, you're not awesome, you're an idiot.

There's value in letting your team start work at a reasonable hour, letting them get their coffee, settle in, log on to see what landed in their inbox overnight that might need attention, THEN MEET.

Yeah, I know, I sound like an entitled Millennial, or a Gen Z. But, the difference is, I've paid my dues and done the whole waking up at zero-dark thirty for military and civilian jobs. I'm middle-aged now, and should have some say-so as to my schedule.

And actually, I do. Aside from the way-too-early meetings our directors like to have, most days and the schedules of me and my team are of my making.

I just can't stand the showy “look at me, I like to get an early start to my day, and everyone around me should, too!” types. The ones that do their early morning wakeup crap without trying to thrust it upon the rest of us are fine. You leave me alone, I'll leave you alone – you do you.

But for those of you that think the rest of us should conform to you. Well, fuck you. Fuck all y'all. I don't admire you, I don't envy you, and instead, I just loathe you. For the love of God, go take your early morning shit somewhere else.

tags: #rants

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