Timing is Everything

Turns out there is actually such a thing as a Night Owl or an Early Bird… I mean physiologically, biologically. It’s not just habit.

Biorhythms are also really a thing. They are all related to your own unique body clock, your circadian rhythm.

We’ve all experienced moments of intense focus and work, where time flies by and we do fantastic things.

These moments are not magic, fleeting or non-re-creatable. They are the happy union of skill, opportunity and timing.

We could all improve our productive output on a daily basis by becoming more aware of our own rhythms, when things are cooking and when we’re chopping carrots. These are the times of day that should be reserved for the real heavy lifting: ideation, problem-solving, brainstorming.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re an early bird or a night owl, there is going to be a certain couple of hours of every day when your world slips into razor-sharp focus and stuff gets done. Start to pay attention to when this is and if it repeats.

Leave these more down times of the day over for non-essential tasks like administration. I find that my heavy thinking and creating work (like writing) happens best in the small hours of the morning. Meetings and such work far better in the afternoons for me, especially late afternoons.

It’s not easy to just invent a unique schedule for yourself. Especially if you have a job. However, by observing your productivity rhythm on a daily basis, you will be able to schedule tasks that require more brain power into better times of day, even if you can really work at the office from 9pm till midnight… you can at least make sure you don’t need to solve complex problems at 8am (except in emergencies!)

Take a week or two to pay special attention to WHEN you’re really getting stuff done. You might surprise yourself. This time is what I call the sweet spot, If you are able to reserve it for the most demanding tasks of your day, you’ll become more productive.

Let the best you tackle the biggest challenge, not just the one who happens to be there at the time.