The Night Owl’s Guide to Early Productivity

The Night Owl’s Guide to Early Productivity

To people who are night owls either by nature or circumstance, getting up to do a productive morning routine can seem impossible. But it's possible to claim this quiet and uninterrupted time for yourself.

I am biologically wired to do better at night. I catch a second wind at about 9 pm, and then I am off to the races, mentally alert and ready to flex my creative muscles. If I give in to it, I will work until 1 or 2 am, at which point I force myself to go to bed because I know the consequences rather than because I'm tired.

I don't allow this to happen often. After all, I am employed outside the home, and I adhere to my employer's and client's expectations that I will be in the office during business hours. Taking advantage of that second wind means that I am groggy, cranky and unproductive on the work site.

A good friend of mine is a musician and is forced to be a night owl. He often doesn't get done with his paying job until 10, and then has to unwind before he can even consider going to bed.
br So whether you are a night owl by choice or circumstance, you can still do an early routine.
How To Create A Productive Morning Routine

How To Create A Productive Morning Routine

Our 30 day challenge this month is to rise early. But rising before the dawn doesn't net you anything if you don't put that uninterrupted time to use. And even if you aren't doing the challenge, you can still craft a productive morning routine that helps set the tone for the day.

I've worked on and off with early rising and morning routines for years. But as a night owl, it is hard for me to function in the morning. Even as I write this, I am fighting the impulse to go back to bed and get another hour's sleep. But I know that if I do cave, I will miss the satisfaction of getting important things done before I face the rest of my day. So here's how you can craft a meaningful morning routine.
30 Day Challenge: Early Rising

30 Day Challenge: Early Rising

Welcome to the second of the 30 day challenges. By doing 30 day challenges, I explore a topic that I feel will make my life more deliberate and productive. This month I will be looking at rising earlier.

My schedule is such that I feel busy all the time. I don't feel like have uninterrupted time. I get up, go to work, and then when I get home I am bombarded with household tasks, exercising, and various evening commitments, not least of which is time with my family. I felt like I never had time to work on projects that were important to me. Non-fiction reading, fiction writing, blogging and crafting are wedged into the odd fifteen minutes I can find.

I feel that working on an early-rising routine will help me carve out the time I need to make progress on activities I want to have in my life.
Beating “I Don’t Have Time”

Beating “I Don’t Have Time”

Productivity is a mental game as much as it is about doing things. One of the limiting beliefs I hear people tell themselves over and over is, "I don't have time."

I used to be a chronic "I don't have time" person, but I have found that I actually do have time to do more things than I thought possible. Today we'll look at how I use those chunks of time to get more done.
Getting Into the Productivity Mindset

Getting Into the Productivity Mindset

When people think about productivity, it's often about the physical actions. But the mental game of productivity is just as important as the physical actions.

Today we look at how to get into the productivity mindset.
4 Productivity Lessons From A Matching Game

4 Productivity Lessons From A Matching Game

There are productivity lessons everywhere, if you just look. Here are four lessons I learned from a video game my daughter got me into, "We Bare Bears Match 3 Repairs."

I like matching games, and when my daughter started playing this one (based on one of her favorite cartoons), I peeked over her shoulder. What makes this game different from most is that there is no time pressure - a round is governed by the number of moves that you make. Make less than "par", you win the round. Otherwise you need to try over. It's fun, and it made me think about the general rules I was applying to select my moves...and all can be applied to productivity.
Why Most Task Advice is Worthless

Why Most Task Advice is Worthless

As part of my quest for productivity, I read a lot of articles and books on the various aspects. I get frustrated from time to time, because I think a lot of the authors miss the points.

For example, I have been reading a lot about building a better task list. And I’ve discovered that most task advice is worthless.
Getting A Fresh Start On Email

Getting A Fresh Start On Email

If you are like most people, you have a lot of emails in your inbox, either unread or waiting for action. In fact, one study found that the average worker had 199 unread emails in their inbox. Another study found that workers receive 121 emails per day.

That is a lot of email to be confronted with every time you open your inbox.

The problem with this is that if you don’t empty out and process the emails (also known as “keeping up with it”), you will have to scan all those emails every time you open the program. And the longer the list, the longer the scan, and that means a whole lot of wasted time.

But what can you do about it? You can clear out and get a fresh start.
Things To Put on a New Calendar

Things To Put on a New Calendar

You have a beautiful blank calendar before you. What should you put on it to ensure you get the most use out of it? This article addresses the basics.

In spite of my dedication to electronic calendars (because of their portability and shareability), I still maintain a paper calendar in my kitchen. This is simply for the visibility without extra steps. But both types of calendars have benefited from my adding the following types of items.