Need to maximize output each day? Start by identifying the times of day it might be easier for your brain to make decisions, maximize output and be more productive by leveraging your undivided attention.
In our book Folding Time™, we share people have premium productivity work times. For morning birds you are most productive between 7 am – 1 pm, for hummingbirds you are 10.30 am – 3 pm and for night owls 2 pm – 8 pm. See there’s a really a time for everyone to focus their attention and maximize output!
Strategize in your most productive time – if you have decisions to make choose your most productive time. If you have a big project to do or a presentation to prepare for, choose the time your brain is most engaged.
Do routine activities in your least productive time – do you have maintenance type activities i.e. returning email, updating status reports that don’t require as much strategic thought? Leave those for another time of day.
Make your big decisions earlier in the day – Michael Breus, author of The Power of When, suggests saving big choices for one to three hours after you wake up. By then, you have shaken off any sleep inertia you might have. A study by Shai Danziger summarizes the results of 1,112 parole decisions heard over a 10 month period resulted in 65% more successfully paroled in the morning hours. Choose your best time to make important decisions.
Convert sales calls before the weekend and holidays – if you are working with a buyer to get decisions made on important deals consider Friday afternoons and also before major holidays. I have found the week before Thanksgiving is a great time to finalize outstanding speaking engagements for the following year and people pick up the phone on Friday afternoons. Hustle when others are relaxing.
We all get 1,440 minutes in a day. There is no such thing as time-management. It’s not about time management; it’s about attention management and strategizing ways to maximize output.
If you are a leader in your organization, provide employees an agile work environment that allows them to maximize output by working during the times of day they are able to focus most. Need ideas on how to create an effective, focused workforce? Watch this video and learn:
- How to give employees freedom to create their workday structure
- Allow employees to work in their most productive spaces and places
- Provide flexibility to employees to work during their most productive hours
Know your best time of day to pay attention to what really matters.
