I’m really not a morning person. I can sleep until one pm, sometimes even two, and anytime before eleven is definitely considered early. My brothers are the same way- Jake and I probably would not have had half of our fights if we didn’t drive to school together in the morning when our angry, morning personalities clashed inside of the Prius. So when I started my internship this summer at New York Family magazine and realized that I would have to wake up at 6:20 am each morning, I certainly wasn’t overwhelmed with joy. And while I was incredibly thankful to get this internship, when my alarm rang that first Monday morning, all I wanted to do was turn the Jonas Brothers’ “Burnin’ Up” off and go back to sleep. I managed to get myself out of bed, dressed, and to the train station, but on that whole train ride to New York City I floated in and out of a light sleep. I went through the motions: pushed past the crowd, hopped onto the subway, and found the building where New York Family is. Yet as I walked into the office and met my supervisors and the team, my mind instantly awoke and I was excited to engage.
After just my first day, I saw this job as something I would really want to do in the future. I loved writing articles, but I even enjoyed the editorial work, such as updating the events calendar, researching events, and reformatting articles sent in by freelancers. Knowing that I was headed to a day of doing work that I love, getting up in the morning got easier. I go to bed around 10:30 pm so that I get a sufficient amount of sleep, and I’ve even started taking an earlier train. I get breakfast at a place nearby the office and enjoy my mornings. Now that is something I thought I’d never say: I enjoy my mornings. But I really do; I have a routine that involves a lengthy commute, yes, but it also involves sunny walks in New York City, exploring the area for new breakfast places, and an internship that I look forward to every day.
So my Festive Friday advice is twofold: 1) Find work that makes you happy- work where you feel that you are contributing and that you get a real sense of fulfillment. And it doesn’t have to be your dream job. It could be an internship that you’re interested in exploring as a career, a part time job where you like your co-workers, or an intermediate job that you know will set up your career for the future. And no matter the job or internship, make the most of it: explore the surrounding area, pitch your ideas, make friends and connections, and work hard. 2) Wake up early. You surely don’t have to wake up at 6:20 am, but there is something special about the morning that I haven’t noticed nor appreciated until now. When you wake up early, your days are more complete. You have more time to accomplish your goals, spend time with friends, and do whatever it is that makes you happy. The morning provides a sense of empowerment in this way. By noon, the time when I typically used to wake up during the summer, I have already reformatted an article to be published or I’m halfway through my own article. When you accomplish something in the morning, you feel confident the remainder of the day in yourself and your abilities.
Spend a little time this Memorial Day weekend thinking about the kind of work that you want to do and if your current work makes you happy on a day-to-day basis. And try waking up early as well, and note how your mood, confidence, and happiness change. Happy Festive Friday <3!
