What gets you out of bed? Not the alarm — the actual reason. I've been asked a version of that question a lot lately, usually phrased as some variation of "what drives you?" So I want to answer it honestly, because the answer isn't discipline or willpower. It's gratitude, and a handful of things I protect fiercely.
I wait for the birds
There's no clock beside my bed. So when I wake in the middle of the night, I don't know what time it is — I just lie there and listen, because the birds starting up is how I know dawn is coming.
And when I hear them, I get excited. Genuinely excited. Part of the reason I sometimes struggle to drop back off is that I can't wait for the day to start. I'm aware of the irony: I know exactly how important sleep is, and I work hard at getting a good night of it. But that eagerness for the morning is real, and it's worth understanding where it comes from.
Every single day is new
Here's what excites me: no two days are the same. The weather's different from yesterday. When I go down to the beach, the waves are different, the tide is different, the sand has rearranged itself overnight, the sky doesn't look like it did the day before.
That variety is, to me, the spice of life. I don't want the same day on repeat — and nature guarantees I won't get it. The temperature shifts, the light shifts, sunny becomes cloudy becomes rainy. So I don't get hung up on the weather or worry about it. I look forward to it changing, and I quite like that my body has to adapt to those changes.
That reframe is available to anyone. The same weather you might treat as an inconvenience can be the thing that reminds you today is genuinely a new day.
Gratitude is a practice, not a mood
I hold an attitude of gratitude about every day, and I try very hard not to take a single one for granted.
Part of that comes from the people who've shaped me. My grandmother greeted everyone with a magnificent smile, a huge hug, and an enormous amount of warmth and love — and that's what I try to emulate every day. Others have inspired me in different ways: people who always gave their absolute best as athletes, people who brought that same standard to their work. I carry their example with me, and I'd like to pass their inspiration on to others.
Gratitude of that kind isn't a feeling you wait to arrive. It's a lens you choose to put on, and the more specific you make it — this person, this quality, this day — the more reliably it works.
My purpose is small enough to achieve daily
The purpose of my podcast is to enhance and enlighten your wellbeing, and I wake up with that mission every morning. The question I'm asking is simply: how can I enhance someone else's wellbeing today?
Sometimes that's helping someone substantially. Often it's just passing a smile to a stranger in the street. Either way, that's a successful day in my book. I look for those opportunities and, reliably, they show up. Seeing the difference it makes in someone else's life is genuinely the best part of my work.
It's the same with recording episodes. If one person listens and is helped in some way, that's a great recording. I do look at the download numbers and the engagement, because it's useful to know what people are interested in and where I can improve — but it isn't a reflection of my self-worth. I measure that by how much I can give, not by what comes back in recognition. The encouragement is a lovely bonus, not the scoreboard.
And closest to home: my wife and my children inspire me every day. How can I serve them better? How can I make their lives better? That's the first thing I'm getting out of bed for.
You can't give from an empty tank
All of that giving requires energy, which means the self-care isn't optional or indulgent — it's infrastructure. Here's what I actually protect.
Sleep. Every day I'm asking how I can improve my night's sleep, because that's where tomorrow's energy comes from. More energy for the podcast, more energy for the people around me, enough energy to smile at everyone I pass.
Eating well. When I eat well, I perform better and I have more to give. It's not complicated, and the feedback loop is quick enough that you can feel it within days.
Relationships. I actively put time aside for the good ones rather than assuming they'll survive on leftovers. Relationships taken for granted quietly decay.
Time away from technology. Nature gives me energy; screens tend to drain it. So I deliberately disconnect and give myself space.
Saying no. This one took me years to learn. Every yes spends energy that belonged to something else, and protecting your capacity to give means declining things that don't fit.
Key takeaways
- Find the variety in each day — weather, light, the ocean, your surroundings — and let it be the reason the day is new.
- Practise gratitude specifically. Name the person or quality you're grateful for rather than keeping it vague.
- Define a purpose small enough to fulfil daily. "Enhance one person's wellbeing" is achievable before breakfast.
- Measure your self-worth by what you give, not by likes, downloads or recognition.
- Protect sleep, food, relationships and screen-free time — they're what make the giving possible.
- Learn to say no. It's how you keep energy available for what actually matters.
- Take what's useful here and discard the rest. What works for me won't necessarily translate to you.
I want to be clear that this is just me sharing what works in my life, not a prescription. That's really the heart of the holistic approach I take at me&my wellness: your sleep, your nutrition, your movement, your mindset and your relationships are all one connected system, but the specific shape it takes has to fit your life, your season and your values. My job is to help you find your version — the practices you'll actually keep, for reasons that genuinely matter to you.
Want to go deeper on this? Book a free 30-minute discovery call with Anthony at meandmywellness.com.au