Taming Time: When are you at your best?

All hours are not created equal. Just ask a night person who's had to do something, and do it well, at 7 a.m. Some folks shine in the morning, while others sparkle in the afternoon and still others shimmer at night. And I haven't heard any success stories of one type changing itself to another, so it's probably wisest to figure out when you're at your best, and then work with that.

How can you tell when your best time is? Well, you probably have a general idea right now. If the phrase "6:15 in the morning" makes you cringe instinctively, you're probably not a morning person, and if "1:15 in the morning" makes you yawn just to hear it, you're probably not a night owl. But what about the afternoon person, arguably the most elusive of the three types?

The best way to get a concrete idea of your best hours is simply to track how you feel every hour for a few days. (Yes, it sounds a bit tedious. If it helps, think of yourself as a spy conducting recon ... on yourself. "3 p.m. Subject is yawning, energy seems to be waning. Could be good time for an attack.")

Charlie Gilkey at Productive Flourishing has taken the tracking concept to a spectacular level, with his "heatmapping" plan. Charlie and I have very different ideas about the desirability of heat. I prefer to think of the hours between 9 and noon as my coolest, freshest time; who the hell wants to work when they're hot? ;-)

Once you've gotten a feel for when your energy is highest and your mental powers are at their peak, you have an additional challenge, sort of: owning it. Now that you know you're useless before 11 a.m. but absolutely golden between 2 and 5 p.m., you can start taking steps to shape your workday to maximize your good hours and minimize your not-so-good hours.

What you shouldn't do is try to change your best times. If you're a morning person, I'd urge you not to apply for bartending jobs. If you're an evening person, reconsider taking a paper route. Instead, do what you can within your circumstances to adapt your day to your time style. Remember: don't fight yourself; you'll never win.

Comments

[Susan Nayak]

I like the idea of spying on yourself as a way of noticing how you feel.

[Catherine Cantieri]

Well, the trick is always hiding from yourself. ;-)