Lack of direction, not lack of time, is the problem. We all have twenty-four hour days. ~Zig Ziglar
Daniel Pink, the author of When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing, writes that there are three stages to every person’s attention cycle: the peak, the trough, and the recovery. He says, “For most of us, we peak early in the day, the trough in the middle of the day, recovery later in the day.” These stages begin and end differently for each of us, but Pink says that most individuals peak before noon or one o’clock in the afternoon, most troughs from approximately 1–4 p.m., and most recoveries around 4 or 5 p.m. One’s peak is the ideal time to get your best work done.
Of course, there are always exceptions to any rule, based on individual lifestyle. Early mornings always worked best for me. Like when setting a goal to meditate each day, starting early in the morning, before my plans and concerns about the day and our crazy world start crowding my mind, I am better able to focus my mind and be more creative. The important element to forming any good habit is dedicating a specific time aside each day. “In the same way most of us don’t think about whether or not to brush our teeth every morning, and instead just do it, the goal is to make writing into less of a volitional choice,” says Pink.
Pink compares writing during our “peak” to riding a bike. “You can ride a bike into the wind, or you can ride a bike with the wind at your back,” he says. “I’d rather ride it with the wind at my back, but if you have to go somewhere, and you don’t have any other choice, you have to bike into the wind, and you’ll have to pedal a lot harder.” He also says, “If it’s a matter of choosing between not writing at all one day, or writing outside your peak, go for the latter — it’s not that you can’t write outside your peak, it’s just that it sucks more.”
The point is, if you want to write a book, a weekly, monthly blog, or simply build up the enjoyment of writing, you’ll do better with some structure, at least at the beginning. Once you get going, you’ll probably find yourself writing both inside and outside your peak hours.
Most of us have calendars for important appointments. If writing is important to you, make an appointment with yourself. Block out a specific time each day – or at least a number of days a week – on your calendar. You can always move them around for unforeseen interferences. If you can’t do it on your own, I’d be glad to coach you through it.
Remember: Lack of direction, not lack of time, is the problem. We all have twenty-four hour days. ~ Zig Ziglar
Enjoy!
Jasmyne
