And it strikes at the oddest times.
Monsieur IV by Blanca Gomez
While I was working on some menial administrative tasks at work, the inspiration struck me how to draw the logo I’d been wanting to create for a friend’s make up artistry business. Not only did I find the strategy I needed for her logo design, but a great name for her business and online identity struck me. I went to her and proposed it offhand, thinking she might not like it. However, not only did she like the idea, she even picked a theme song based on it!
It seems that inspiration can strike any time, day or night, no matter the circumstance or surroundings.
But this got me wondering when and where I do my best work. Where am I the most creative and efficient? Is there a specific time of day that I work best?
Personally, I do my best reading and research early in the day, when the sun is rising, with a cup of coffee or tea in hand, before I have a chance to interact with anyone else (hence why I recently decided to work from 8:30am to 4:30pm at my office). In regards to administrative, management, and other business-related practices, I tend to do best in the middle of the day in front of a computer, where I can manage things by spreading them out across a table or desk and can access any files or other materials I might need to stay well-informed and organized. However, I often do my best creative and artistic work long after this, at night, once the quiet of dusk has settled and I am alone again, usually sitting on the floor or close to the ground with materials spread out all over the floor. For some reason, my center of balance is extremely important to the way my brain works.
When do you do your best work? Do you find different times of day for different types of work? If you could set your own schedule, what would it be like?
Mine might go something like:
06:30 wake up, greet the day, etc.
07:30 coffee/tea, breakfast, emails, Tweets, RSS feed
08:00 research, reading, etc.
10:00 go to the gym, work out, shower, change, etc.
12:00 have lunch, get organized for the afternoon, check emails again
13:00 administrative tasks, other business-related tasks
16:30 take a walk, clear my head
17:00 finish administrative work, other business
18:00 make and have dinner, chores, errands, etc.
20:00 creative work
22:00 wind down, watch tv, read a book, catch up online
23:30 bed
I know my body likes best when I get a work-out in mid-morning, but unfortunately, having a normal 9-5 type job prevents me from having this ideal schedule, so I do what I can with what I’m given. However, at least I know what times of day and what situations maximize efficiency and creativity. Under what condiditions do you best work? How would your schedule differ from mine?
SaraKate
I definitely do my best thinking and creative work early in the morning. My alarm goes off at 5 a.m. – ungodly, I know, but it’s the best time for me. At first it’s hard to wake up, but after about 10 minutes I’m sharp and alert. I then either work out or jump on the computer. Working out then is fantastic because it sets the day off on a high energy note – but if I have important work to do, I sometimes skip the workout and start writing immediately. There’s no time like early a.m. for me.
That said, I’m useless by about 5 or 6 p.m.! I start to shut down around 8 p.m. and my eyes are closing soon after 9 p.m. No night owl here.
Hey, if 5am works for you, more power to you. Besides, you get to see the first rays of sun in the morning. I like that quiet time before people start jabbering at me! I wish I could force myself to work out before anything else in the day, but I just can’t get myself motivated. I’ve been neglecting it altogether recently, but am working hard on recommitting myself to going right after work again (about 5:30 or so) then coming home to make a relatively light and healthy dinner afterward. That way, I still have time to wind down before bedtime!
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