An example from my life.

I had a 7:30 AM free class scheduled at an Apple Store quite far from my apartment.

I am not a morning person.

PER SE

I am ESPECIALLY not a morning person after going on a several day trip during which my sleep schedule was disturbed.

So I asked my friend who is two hours ahead of me to call me at 6:30.

She did.

I had a wake-up call.

But then I fell asleep again.

I woke up at 7:20.

AND,

...did not frantically run out the door, did not speed, did not finally arrive at Apple half-way through the class... did not wonder what the second half of the class was about due to having missed the first half...

...instead, I accepted reality...at last...

...I then went back for another hour of sleep...

...and then I kept doing searches for EVENING classes at Apple, having realized that I am just not a morning person, and no wake-up calls would ever change it, nor is always being rushed trying to make morning appointments a good thing...

...I finally found a 7PM class... cool - right after work...

So from now on, I will try my best to simply avoid trying to make myself up and perky at 6:30 AM infrequently when a such a need arises...

...by simply not creating such needs in the first place.

Not always possible - think flights - but at least for something as optional as a class at Apple, I should have known better than STRESS myself with an early morning appt.

How is that connected to self esteem?

Well, my self esteem can suffer each time I fail in the morning, so to the extent that not scheduling things in the mornings would lead to fewer failures, which, in turn, would not impact my self esteem negatively - there is a connection.

Just accept reality without trying to pretend that miracles could happen.