Early Bird Or Night Owl?

We all have different times of the day when we have more energy than at others. Some people are at their best first thing in the morning - a good time for creativity and others do their best work late at night, when it’s quieter.

Getting up an hour or so earlier may give you an extra hour at the beginning of the day but not if you’re a night owl. Don’t burn the candle at both ends and go to bed late or force yourself into an unnatural routine by constantly working late if you’re naturally an early bird.

Try not to fight your natural tendency for when you work at your best. If you’re an early bird, use the morning to do tasks which require you to be at your best or need your concentration. Don’t set aside time to work on a complex report or jobs which require your concentration in the afternoon when you’re more likely to hit the post lunch slump or in the evening when you’re tired. If you’re a night owl and need quiet time for your creativity, leave it until later in the day.

If you’re tied to traditional office hours then when you start and finish work may not have the level of flexibility to accommodate early or late working. However many employers now offer more flexible working patterns. If you work for yourself you have more flexibility around when you work but still need to be able to deal with other people’s normal working day both in business and at home.

There may be certain days of the week when it makes sense to schedule in particular tasks. For instance - you might hit the ground running on a Monday morning but be ready to go home by Thursday. You might find you have a peak of activity on a Friday when you’re keen to clear things out at the end of the week and go home with a clean slate.

Know when you’re most productive time of day is, when you prefer doing certain types of tasks and plan around those times.