I wake up every morning at 3:45 AM. It’s not because I have a deadline, meetings in different time zones, or an early flight. I do it because I initially had to due to the pandemic in order to have uninterrupted time and get some work done. Over the last two years, I’ve found that my magic hours are between 4:00 and 7:00 AM. It’s unconventional, I know. I’m reminded of this anytime someone comments on how early I go to bed or how early I wake up. But don’t worry, this isn’t another article trying to get you to join the 5 AM club – or in my case, the 4 AM club.
This post is intended to do the opposite. Maybe.
When we’re looking for a new routine or healthy practices, we often look to what others may be doing. We want to know the secret. But there’s a danger in that. In following the footsteps of others, we forget that we have our own.
As a mother to a young child, I’ve learned that uninterrupted time is sacred. But that’s not the sole reason I do it. I never had to guilt myself into waking up at a certain time, and my decision to do so was based on personal observation. Those early morning hours are when my thoughts flow, my mind stays focused, and I feel I can get the most challenging work completed. And so, I honour that window, each and every day (yes, even on weekends), because it’s when I’m ready to pour over research, dive into new subjects and engage.
Many of us often make the mistake of focusing on what we should be doing rather than who we are. The most important productivity hack isn’t getting up with the sun; it’s learning to work with your body's natural rhythms and your learning style.
The key to maximizing your productivity is personal observation and self-reflection. Take the time to know yourself and understand when you feel the most equipped to handle daily tasks. To maximize my productivity, I schedule my intense work between 4-7 AM, and then schedule my client-facing engagements, calls, and meetings after drop-off and before pick-up. By prioritizing the most taxing task each day, I can maximize creativity and efficiency.
Ask yourself, when do you feel most ready and inspired to tackle challenging work? Is it first thing in the morning? Is it after a HIIT workout? Or is it, in the middle of your day? By looking at how you structure your day, your energy levels and your productivity, you’ll be better able to understand when your mind and body are best equipped to handle your daily tasks. For some people, taking an inventory of where they spend their time and how they feel throughout the day is helpful in understanding how they can optimize their day.
There’s no one-size-fits all to productivity. The problem is we’ve been fed that idea for so long we get frustrated when “proven” methods don’t work for us. Time-blocking, the Pomodoro method and waking up early are all excellent ways to maximize your productivity – but only if those are the methods that work best for you.
The only way you can understand what works for you, is through trial, error and observation. If it takes you 30 minutes to focus, the Pomodoro method may not be the best option, but time blocking could be. In a culture that’s hyper-focused on productivity hacks and efficiency, sometimes the most powerful and productive thing you can do is be yourself.