DR. WALLACE: I've always heard that the most successful people wake up really early so that they can make productive use of their mornings. I'm an ambitious person with big dreams for the future, but I absolutely hate waking up early in the morning and am much more of a night owl.

My father is a very early riser, and he's quite successful at his job. My mother, on the other hand, loves her "beauty sleep," as she calls it. However, my mom runs a very successful household and she gets lots of stuff done even though she wakes up most days much later than my father does.

So to me, it appears I take after my mother much more in this department than I do my father.

Since I aim to achieve various degrees and ultimately have a successful business career, do I need to start getting myself adjusted to more of an "office person" morning schedule — the way most of corporate America usually operates?

I'll need to somehow learn how to become a morning person in order to be successful if this becomes the case. So far, I've gotten excellent grades and done very well in school as a self-proclaimed "night owl." What do you suggest might help me in the future if I need to make a transition? — Successful night owl, via email

SUCCESSFUL NIGHT OWL: Congratulations on being a successful night owl thus far in your life. Your upcoming working career comes along at one of the most flexible times for work schedules in history. The pandemic has created unprecedented flexibility, with many employees working remotely from the residence, which often allows work to be done at various hours throughout the day. Many individuals can be quite successful in their working careers by applying themselves to their jobs at various times of day.

For now, I suggest that you gradually practice getting to bed a bit earlier and waking up a bit earlier than you currently are experiencing. Try going to be a half-hour earlier than your normal routine and wake up a half-hour earlier as well. One of the big keys to a successful sleep routine is to go to bed and wake up at the same time each day. If at first you feel tired during the day, try taking a 15- to 20-minute nap, preferably in the early or late afternoon.

Until you know your precise work schedule in the future, there's no need to worry about meeting any specific schedule that is likely years away. Do work on moving your schedule up a half-hour because once you can successfully accomplish this, it will give you the confidence in the back of your mind to know that you can do it again — perhaps even further — once you have a good reason to do so. And an excellent job you truly want to work at can indeed provide you that future motivation.

I WAS SHOCKED WHEN I OPENED MY BACKPACK!

DR. WALLACE: I'm a 16-year-old girl and I'm lucky enough to have three close girlfriends. We do many things together and we all get along great. We go to the same school, and we have many other friends in common, too.

Well, this past weekend, I went shopping at our local mall with one of my close girlfriends. I brought my backpack with me, and about halfway through our shopping trip, my girlfriend offered to carry my backpack for me since it was kind of heavy. I gave it to her without a second thought.

Shortly after that, my friend wanted to go back to a store we had recently been in. We went back in for about five minutes and then went to the food court and ate lunch.

I took my backpack back and carried it home. When we got home, she wanted to unzip my backpack. When she did, I couldn't believe my eyes! There was a nice top and a cool T-shirt inside that she had put in there. She wanted me to keep one and give one to her, but I refused to give her either one.

Now I'm worried I will get arrested for shoplifting. I have not told my mom or anyone about this. What should I do? — Shocked by my friend, via email

SHOCKED BY MY FRIEND: Go back to the mall on your own and bring your backpack. Ask for the store manager and let him know that a person at your school took some items from the store and that you felt it was right to return them to their rightful owner.

Let the manager know that you are counseling the person who made this mistake. Hopefully, the store will receive the items back without pressing forward further to involve you in the matter.

But if they do, you must tell the truth. At that point, you should inform your parents of the whole episode and even mention that you wrote to this column here for advice. Your parents can then guide you forward if this matter becomes messier and more involved.

In any case, do counsel your friend and explain to her just how wrong her actions were on two levels. First, that she stole these items. Second, that she used your backpack to conceal them without your knowledge. If nothing further happens via the retail store (and you don't have to involve other adults), then I suggest you ask your friend to do eight hours of volunteer work to "pay" for her transgression. Tell her that since she has been a good friend of yours that you will also volunteer alongside her at whatever organization you girls locate for this purpose. Tell her that if she's truly sorry and has learned her lesson, that you will not only do the volunteer work right along with her but that you'll also keep this matter between the two of you without mentioning it to anyone else.

But let her know that if she ever does it again, or if she's not willing to complete acts of contrition, that you can't guarantee that you won't feel obligated in the future to let others know you may need professional assistance to help you get back on a stable, ethical track.

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at rwallace@thegreatestgift.com. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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