We only have a limited amount of time in each day. Let’s face it. Life is not getting less complicated either. On the contrary, it keeps getting more and more complicated. We are connected to so many people that we are constantly bombarded with information from every angle. Sometimes there is so much going on in our lives that we simply can’t find the time to get it all done. I have found a method of getting more done that works well for me. I’d like to share that method with you.
I have come to realize that I am definitely at my best about 15 minutes after I first wake up in the morning. My mind is clear and I am in my most creative mindset. At some point later in the day things really start to fade on me.
My work involves a lot of writing. Writing is a creative activity. You have to think about how you want to say something. I have discovered that if I begin writing first thing in the morning, I can create a lot of great work at a really fast pace. Once I discovered this, I realized it was one of those eureka moments.
So, now I get out of bed, grab a cup of coffee and head immediately into my office to begin working. I literally start working in my underwear. This is typically somewhere between 5-6AM. By 8AM I have already accomplished a substantial amount of quality work. I am ahead of schedule for the day. That puts me in a really great mood which tends to influence the rest of the day. Plus, the amount of work I got done in those couple hours is actually equivalent to about half a day’s worth of work during normal hours.
I get into such a zone that I can lose myself in my work. Those couple hours fly by very quickly. In fact there are times that I am on such a roll that I hate to stop working. I just want to keep plugging away because everything is flowing so well. The words just come to me from another place. It is like talking with a friend.
Then somewhere between 8-9AM is when I typically will take a break. That is when I try to get a little workout in, eat breakfast and take a shower. By the time 9:30AM rolls around, I am feeling great knowing how much I have already accomplished. I liken it to what people in the army must feel like after they finish a solid morning physical training routine. I remember the slogan the army used to use “We get more done by 5AM than most people do all day.” I believe them.
It is truly personally satisfying to get an immense amount of work done in a really short period of time. If only I could find a way to get into this zone at other points during the day, I would certainly be able to accomplish super human amounts of work.
Instead of having to stay in my office to work late in order to get something done, I really don’t have to. Instead, I will stay late because I am working on something that I have wanted to work on. I can leave early every day if I want to because my work is completed so early.
Sticking with this schedule has forced me to sacrifice some later evening television. I can honestly say that I don’t miss it though. I realized that feeling like this every day far outweighs staying up till 11PM watching some mindless show on television.
If you are a writer looking for new ways to get more work done during the day, I suggest you try my method out for yourself. You just might find that you are cranking out quality material in less time. That will allow you more free time to do that which you love the most.
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