Tanisha Monet

Yes, it’s possible. You can maximize your productivity without becoming a morning person.

For those of you who love to wake up early, I am not suggesting that you shake up your routine. Keep doing you! I, admittedly however, am not one of those people. So for this post, I’m talking to my fellow night owls. To the ones who hit snooze and pull the covers back over their heads: hi there. Exhale. I’m here to tell you that there’s hope for us. Here are 3 mindsets to adopt designed to help you to have a productive day without waking up at 5 a.m.

• #1 The early bird may get the worm, but there are lots of worms left in the dirt.

Productivity doesn’t always have to happen before 7 am. Ok, another confession: I wish I was an early morning person. I think there’s something so sweet and sacred about tiptoeing around the house before the dog stirs or the pitter patter of kids fills the halls. I’ve tried it. And I can do it. But just because I can do it doesn’t mean that I enjoy doing it. And what’s more is that it doesn’t even mean that I’ll provide my best output at that early hour. And here’s the thing- for the most part, the work or opportunities don’t just suddenly disappear when the majority of people wake up. They’re still there, they may just look a little different.

Instead of journaling your daily goals and “to dos” before getting out of bed, you may enjoy writing an evening summary of what you actually accomplished and resetting your home to be ready for the following day. Some people enjoy the morning hum of laundry tumbling around the dryer. Others feel a sense of satisfaction hearing it late at night. Live in New York? While most are closing their laptops at 5, you could be making meaningful west coast business connections for 3 additional hours.

Remember, your “worms” are out there. You might just need to dig in a different spot.

• #2 Shift your most important tasks to the time of day you consider to be your peak working hours

This one requires slowing down and paying close attention to your natural habits. Look for the signs. What time do you typically feel motivated to show up to that spin class? When do you most often lose yourself in the social media black hole binging video after video? How about paying your bills or coming up with your best ideas? When do mundane tasks become a bit more appealing? In other words, when do you find yourself having a natural boost in energy?

If you plan to tackle your most important tasks during the time when you have the most energy, you’ll be more likely to complete them. Want to know my sweet spot? 11am and after dinner time. When most of the world appears to be winding down, my mind is revving up for a second wind. I cannot begin to tell you how many blog post ideas I’ve developed at 8pm. I complete my grocery shopping, pay bills, even answer important emails after the sun goes down.

Caution: Shifting does not mean procrastinating. The goal is to check off items while you’ve got the most gas in your tank. Not to park them all together.

• #3 Be true to yourself, even if it initially seems to go against the grain

Society typically functions within a 9-5 world. Those who start their days early are generally praised more often than not. So if you don’t fall into that bucket and decide to try a new approach, you may be met with resistance at first. The best advice I can give to avoid or at least manage push back is to state your productivity style publicly. At the office, block your calendar from 8-10am so you can dedicate those two hours to preparing for the day before diving in full force. Ask your spouse for support with the kids after dinner so that you can catch up emails or chores. Let it be known that from 11-2 you will be in your office working on your podcast content and to only knock in case of an emergency.

Let your boundaries be known and stick to them!

By keeping these 3 concepts top of mind, you can feel better about hitting that snooze button. Waking up early can increase productivity for many people. But you’ll accomplish just as much, if not more, once you embrace your natural circadian rhythm and use it to your advantage.

With love,