--- title: The Power of Nine Minutes | The Sales Blog description: "The modern alarm clock can be a deadly, life-stealing, procrastination-training device. It comes with a feature that destroys the foundation of all success: me management. It does so by providing you the ability to push a button and reset the alarm to go off at some later time. Most of these snooze alarms are set […]" image: https://www.thesalesblog.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/shutterstock_819516-copy.jpg --- ### [Now booking SKO meetings for 2026/27! 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It comes with a feature that destroys the foundation of all success: [me management](http://thesalesblog.com/blog/2012/03/27/me-management-you-have-the-same-time-as-everyone-else/). It does so by providing you the ability to push a button and reset the alarm to go off at some later time. Most of these snooze alarms are set to give you nine minutes more sleep. One push of the button allows you to go back to sleep for nine minutes. A second push and you have lost eighteen minutes. Pushing the button a third time, and you have given up a full half hour of your day. But you have really given up something far greater. “What’s the big deal, Iannarino,” you say. “It’s only nine minutes.” The big deal is that you have made [a commitment to yourself](http://thesalesblog.com/blog/2010/02/19/7-ways-to-be-more-disciplined/) to wake at a certain time. When that time arrives, you groggily renegotiate that commitment. You postpone the keeping of that commitment [to avoid the tiniest bit of discomfort](http://thesalesblog.com/blog/2012/04/02/are-you-avoiding-the-wrong-pain/) and to gain the tiniest bit of pleasure. During the extra nine minutes of sleep, you aren’t gaining much in the way of quality sleep or improved energy, but your self-discipline is evaporating. You are training yourself that it is okay to procrastinate, and that nothing really bad comes of failing to keep your commitments. You are destroying your “me management.” You set your alarm to a certain time for a reason. You made the commitment with the intention of doing something with that time. Without rising when the alarm sounds, you aren’t keeping your commitment to wake at the time you decided, and you aren’t keeping the more important commitment to do whatever it is that you need to do with that time. Maybe you set the alarm with the intention of exercising in the morning before work. Or maybe you set it so you would have enough time to read, to develop your business acumen, and to improve [your personal effectiveness](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/the-development-edge). I don’t know what you intended to do with your time, but I know it was something more important to your life, your health, and your long-term happiness than nine extra minutes of sleep. #### Taking Back Your Nine Minutes The power of nine minutes is that it is the ultimate expression of your “me management,” your ability to make and keep commitments, starting with the commitments you make to yourself. Even what you might have believed was a trivial commitment like getting out of bed when the alarm sounds. Take back your nine minutes. Instead of hitting the snooze button, get out of bed at the sound of your alarm. Instead of allowing your alarm clock to be a procrastination-training device, use it as a “me management” training device. It’s only nine minutes. But those nine minutes mean everything. There is a tremendous power in nine minutes. #### Questions Don’t hit the snooze button for the next week. Tell me how it feels after the week is up. What will you do with your nine extra minutes? What you do with your newfound power to avoid procrastination? Are the most successful people you know disciplined? Are they extraordinarily disciplined in the areas of their lives that really matter? What do you need to do to be a better “me manager?” ###### Tags: [Sales](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/tag/sales) [2012](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/tag/2012) Post by [Anthony Iannarino](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/author/anthony-iannarino) on April 3, 2012 Written and edited by human brains and human hands. ![Anthony Iannarino](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hubfs/ai-blog-profile-crop.jpg) Anthony Iannarino is an American writer. He has published daily at [thesalesblog.com](https://www.thesalesblog.com) for more than 14 years, amassing over 5,300 articles and making this platform a destination for salespeople and sales leaders. Anthony is also the author of four best-selling books documenting modern sales methodologies and a fifth book for sales leaders seeking revenue growth. His latest book for an even wider audience is titled, The Negativity Fast: Proven Techniques to Increase Positivity, Reduce Fear, and Boost Success. Anthony speaks to sales organizations worldwide, delivering cutting-edge sales strategies and tactics that work in this ever-evolving B2B landscape. He also provides workshops and seminars. Connect with Anthony on LinkedIn, X or Youtube. You can email Anthony at [iannarino@gmail.com](mailto:iannarino@gmail.com) [Follow me on my website](https://www.thesalesblog.com/anthony-iannarino) [Follow me on Facebook ](https://www.facebook.com/thesalesblog) [Follow me on LinkedIn ](https://www.linkedin.com/in/iannarino/) [Follow me on Twitter ](http://www.twitter.com/iannarino) [![AISA-square-ad-SKOs-26-27](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hs-fs/hubfs/AISA-square-ad-SKOs-26-27.jpg?width=400&height=400&name=AISA-square-ad-SKOs-26-27.jpg)](https://www.thesalesblog.com/authority) [![ai-cold-calling-video-sidebar-offer-1](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hs-fs/hubfs/ai-cold-calling-video-sidebar-offer-1.jpg?width=318&height=179&name=ai-cold-calling-video-sidebar-offer-1.jpg)](https://www.thesalesblog.com/free-cold-calling-video) ![salescall-planner-ebook-v3-1-cover (1)](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hs-fs/hubfs/salescall-planner-ebook-v3-1-cover%20(1).jpg?width=768&height=994&name=salescall-planner-ebook-v3-1-cover%20(1).jpg) ### Free Sales eBook: Sales Call Planner Planning your sales call improves the likelihood of making a successful call, and it demonstrates to your dream client your professionalism. 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What we’re doing right now **is working**, even in this challenging economy. **Would you like some help?** [![Solve for Sales](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/2922376/d3a4938b-2008-4a27-8b44-7b2223f6d035.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/2922376/d3a4938b-2008-4a27-8b44-7b2223f6d035) ### Join my Weekly Newsletter for Sales Tips Join 100,000+ sales professionals in my weekly newsletter and get my *Guide to Becoming a Sales Hustler* eBook for FREE! --- ```json { "@context" : "http://schema.org/", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Anthony Iannarino" }, "dateModified" : "2024-08-23T5:09:55 AM", "datePublished" : "2012-04-03 19:57:59", "description" : "The modern alarm clock can be a deadly, life-stealing, procrastination-training device. It comes with a feature that destroys the foundation of all success: me management. It does so by providing you the ability to push a button and reset the alarm to go off at some later time. 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