For a few years now, I’ve tried to avoid using the phrase “find the time” because it implies that the desired time will come passively. “Make the time,” is the saying I find more accurate. If we want to get something done, we have to actively set the time to do it.
Time is a Resource
You may have heard a quote that goes something along the lines of “You and Bill Gates have the same 24 hours in a day.” Feel free to replace Bill Gates with any individual that seems admirable. Time is the one resource that is truly finite. Once it’s gone, we can never get it back.
Every day, we all spend our time resource, whether we decide to or not. It can be spent optimally or poorly, just as any other resource. This optimization is mostly subjective, with some arguments for objectively bad time wasters.
For example, a common demon of the productivity world is TV or other media. I don’t think this is necessarily the case. A relaxing hour watching a show you enjoy can be the right way to wind down after a challenging day. The trouble, of course, comes in when that one hour becomes three, and has eaten into time allocated for other activities..
Following this idea, I think that time spent on “productive tasks” can also be spent non-optimally. Slamming into a problem over and over can lead to a variety of negative emotions around the task. If exhausted or stuck, the best thing at that time might be to step back and look to something else.
Due to its preciousness, time should be spent the best it can be. In order to do so, I believe it’s best to understand oneself.
Why Find Prime Time
As a person with a lot of ambition to complete a variety of projects, it’s critical that I can work on challenging tasks when I’m at my best.
I often find myself arbitrarily scheduling things or putting them off until the last minute when I have to push through a tiresome slog to get anything done. When trying this, it becomes much easier to look at my to-do list for an easier task to mark off for the day in order to get some feeling of accomplishment.
With a biological prime time (BPT) known, I can better plan my days to tackle the tough work at my best and save the easier stuff for when I’m dwindling. On top of that, I can plan breaks more effectively to come back recharged for whatever lies ahead in the day.
Trial Takeaways
So far, I’m finding that I’m pretty consistent most days in how I feel hour to hour. My morning has a steady rise with a plateau from about 11 AM to 1 PM. Unfortunately, I spoke too soon last week about my 5 PM crash, as I consistently have dwindling energy from 2 PM, after lunch, until around 6 PM.
With the previous benefits of going caffeine free debunked, last Sunday, I experimented with a cup of coffee in the morning. It was a nice treat after several days without one. I was surprised at the results. My energy levels were the best I’ve tracked thus far and I didn’t experience a caffeine crash at all. As of now, I’m unsure if the effect was the caffeine or the result of a long restful weekend. Due to this, I’m excluding that day from my final tracking of my BPT.
Trying Out Before Buying In 