Marcus Aurelius ran the Roman Empire and still had trouble getting out of bed. His fix was a hype note: a few lines to himself that survive as Meditations 5.1. The reel is our paraphrase. The real note is below.
thatBB dictionary
hype note
(noun)
A pep talk you write yourself before the day starts. An emperor needed one. You’re allowed one too.
Why getting out of bed is hard, even for an emperor
The most powerful man alive had every reason to get up: an empire, wars on the frontier, a schedule nobody else could run. He still argued with his blanket, and he wrote the argument down. That’s the part people skip. Struggling to start isn’t proof you’re lazy or failing. It’s the first rep of the day, and everyone has to do it. Emperors included.
What would a stoic do?
At dawn, when you have trouble getting out of bed, tell yourself: ‘I have to go to work — as a human being. What do I have to complain of, if I’m going to do what I was born for — the things I was brought into the world to do? Or is this what I was created for? To huddle under the blankets and stay warm?’
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 5.1 (trans. Gregory Hays)
Notice what’s missing. No "rise and grind." No productivity. He gets up to do the work of a human being: his job, and his part in everyone else’s day. Warm blankets are nice. They’re just not what you’re for. The note doesn’t scold him. It reminds him why.
Try this: write your own hype note
- Write it the night before. One or two lines on paper by your bed. Half-asleep you reads it, so keep it short.
- Make it about why, not what. Skip the to-do list. Name who or what you’re getting up for: a person, a craft, a promise.
- Let it be a little ridiculous. Rhyme it if you want. A note that makes you smile gets read.
For whoever’s still under the covers: you’re in good company. meow meow, kev
