A couple of mornings ago, I began my day as I normally do. I was out of bed by six, got in a good workout, and jumped in the shower around seven. Somewhere in all of that, my wife woke up as well. Now, I think it only fair to tell you, one thing that we have yet to figure out as a married couple is our productivity schedules.
What I mean by that is this: Everyone has different times during the day that are considered their "prime times." During college, I decided that my prime time was in the morning. I found that I worked best and concentrated most efficiently if I scheduled my classes in the mornings, worked in the afternoon, and wound down at night. My wife is just the opposite. She likes to take it easier with "mindless" tasks (like housework) in the early morning (her words, not mine), pick up the pace around ten, and be at peak performance later at night. There is nothing wrong with either schedule, they are just different.
All of that to say, after my morning workout and shower a couple of days ago, my wife was just waking up. I told her good morning and asked her how she was feeling. She responded with an incredibly profound, "I haven't decided yet." This answer made me chuckle at first but then I got to thinking about it. She was exactly right. Everyone has the right to decide how they are feeling when they wake up and how a day goes.
Think about it. When you wake up on vacation, days seem to be much more enjoyable than they are in your normal routine. One could argue that the change in attitude is intrinsically because of the vacation but hear me out. When you wake up ready to do something that you are anticipating or are excited about, you have infinitely more energy than you do normally. Since we can rule out vacation, it has to be your attitude when you wake up.
I won't go on record by stating that this approach to rising in the morning is easy. I can honestly say that my attitude when I wake up takes work on my part. But it is well worth the extra work to ensure that I have a better day and perform better professionally as a result. Here are a few of the ways that I have found that work for me in keeping my head clear and helping me decide that I will have a good day. Understand that I am applying these factors to the morning because that is my prime time. But you can take the same concepts and use them for your prime time just as easily.
First and foremost, I have found that my performance the next day is almost always directly correlated to the amount of sleep I get the night before. I have found that I need more than six hours for optimum performance the next day. Honestly, I can perform on no sleep at all from pure adrenaline. But if the task is any later then noon, I am completely worthless. Find out what gives you the best sleep whether it be reading before bed, working a little bit, and or a bath/shower beforehand. Sleep your brain into prime time. If your best hours are later in the day, never underestimate the power of a good nap.
The second performance enhancing factor for my prime time is some activity right before I really start. This is probably the hardest part for me. It takes a significant amount of self-control for me to want to get out of my warm bed, put on cold exercise clothes, and go exercise. But the competitive advantage I receive as a result always provides professional improvement. Even if it is just a walk around the block on a cool summer morning, if I can get up and get moving, I will work better. Numerous studies have been produced that show the brain works best when oxygen is flowing and endorphin levels (boosted by exercise) are high. Physical activity boosts mental performance.
Finally, don't neglect rewarding yourself afterwards. Spending a few minutes after prime time unwinding and relaxing help you hit the ground running when you have to push through the wall. For me, the afternoon is my most difficult time to work because I have worked hard all morning, and lunch has made me sleepy. If I can take a little bit of each hour and relax, I can start fresh during that next hour.
Again, these tips are not to be taken as universal truth. These are just what work best for me. Experiment. Figure out your best performance time so that you can "decide" how your day will go. The best decision is one that has been planned out. By planning your productivity, you manage your time more effectively and work harder as a professional. Until next time, stay classy.
-Andrew
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