Who’s in charge today?

Getting out of bed is probably one of the most difficult decisions I have to make throughout the day. The bed is warm, comfortable, and wraps around me like a cocoon. At the same time, I want to jump out of bed and CRUSH THE DAY.

So… which part of me wins?

Truth is, it’s not a battle. Both are real.

At any given moment, there are two voices in my head: the “Loser” and the “Winner.” Let me introduce you to both.

The “Loser” likes to hang out in bed, wake up whenever he wants, and lallygag through the day. Doom scrolling, binge-watching Netflix, crushing a bag of chips, drinking coffee all day… those are his go-to moves. The “Loser” is a victim to whatever happens.

The “Winner,” on the other hand, jumps out of bed when the alarm hits. Push-ups. Four-mile run. Meditation to reset his mindset. He performs at a high level and goes after everything he wants. The “Winner” finds a way—no matter what.

Both are me. And both are true.

Here’s the thing: those voices are always pulling in different directions.

I think we all have that hero and villain running in our head. But the hero? That wasn’t always there for me. I had to build him. From scratch. Then step into him.

The villain, though… that one was built for me. By the outside world, and then I internalized it.

Being picked last for sports.
Getting teased for being the short, fat kid.
Threats in the schoolyard.
Stuffed into lockers.

You get the idea.

Even losing my sister felt like confirmation, I was the loser.

But once I created my “Winner,” everything changed.

Now there’s a conversation between the two. And more importantly, I get to choose which one I listen to.

That choice is intentional.

It also put me back in the driver’s seat of my grief. I’m not a victim to my thoughts, emotions, or actions anymore. I manage them. I set boundaries for both sides.

So back to getting out of bed…

I’ve figured out that 7.5 hours of sleep is my sweet spot (took a pretty dialed-in sleep routine to land there).

My alarm goes off at 6:30.

I give myself a window: feet on the floor between 6:30 and 7:00.

If the Winner’s in charge? I’m up at 6:30.
If the Loser sneaks in? 7:00.

That’s my balance between discipline and recovery.

And the best part? I choose.

That puts me in control.

We all have our version of this internal conflict.

Mine is Winner vs. Loser.

What’s yours?

Go with power,
Jason

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Try this Simple Practice:

Hero & Villain

1. Name your two voices.
   Don’t overthink it, but make it real. “Winner/Loser” works, but yours might be different.
   Maybe it’s “Worthy vs. Unworthy”… “Leader vs. Follower”… “Focused vs. Distracted.”
   If you can’t name them, you can’t catch them.

2. Catch the moment they show up.
   This isn’t theoretical, this happens every day.
   It could be getting out of bed, starting that hard task, making a call, going to the gym.
   Find the exact moment where you feel the internal pull in two directions.

3. Listen to what each one says.
   Your “loser” voice is usually subtle and convincing:
   “You can do it later… you deserve a break… it’s not that important.”
   Your “winner” voice is usually simple and direct:
   “Get up. Start. Just do it.”
   The language matters because that’s what you’re actually responding to.

4. Don’t fix it, just notice it.
   Most people try to win the battle immediately. That’s not the move.
   First, just become aware of it happening in real time.
   Awareness creates space. Space gives you a choice.
   And that’s where everything starts to change.