Questions to ask your alarm clock?

The alarm clock takes a lot of abuse. It seems to be our defacto enemy. It is the butt of many jokes. It gets ignored when it is only doing what we asked it to do in the first place. I think the "esteem" (self worth) of the alarm clock is doomed by its very reason for being.

Think about asking your alarm clock this question 

Why are you here?


Its sole purpose is to wake you up when you prefer to sleep. You use the alarm clock to remind you that you must spend time and effort doing something other than what you naturally prefer to do. The alarm clock is by definition a proxy for or a sign of extrinsic motivation at the expense of intrinsic motivation.

OK, I agree, too academic. I'll say it this way, the alarm "going off" says to you that you must quit doing something you enjoy (sleep) in order to do something you do not enjoy (work or school or whatever). You must get up - You want to sleep.

Now, there have been days (surely more than one) where you set your alarm clock to get you up on time, but you were so excited about your upcoming day you woke up way before the alarm went off. The alarm clock really was not necessary. It was a security blanket or habit. The important point here is that your motivation was such that what you had before you to do that day was way more purposeful and enjoyable than sleeping. That is what intrinsic motivation means. You can't wait to do it. You don't want to waste anymore time until you are doing it.

So, sometime when you are not grumpy and angry at your alarm clock, ask "what was going on the days that I ignored you and didn't need you?". The answer is the secret to your calling in life. The things you do that you can't wait to do are not your calling, but they reflect the nature of activity that is consistent with the kinds of activity you would have if your career were highly intrinsic.   

This is not always obvious, but it is worth pondering ......

Its the greatest coaching tip I know to give anyone searching for answers about life's calling!!