Timestamps
Bear: [12:32] to [15:14]
Lion: [15:15] to 17:17]
Wolf: [17:18] to [22:25]
Dolphin: [22:26] to [25:20]
Hey there!
Today, I'd like to share with you my number one tip to boost your productivity almost effortlessly: plan your tasks based on your biological rhythm, aka your chronotype.
What's a chronotype, might you be wondering? It's "the internal circadian rhythm or body clock of an individual that influences the cycle of sleep and activity in a 24-hour period" (Merriam-Webster, n.d.).
According to Dr. Breus, the author of The Power of When, there are four chronotypes. Each one is designed to perform specific tasks in specific moments. So by doing your different activities at the right moment for your body, you'll perform better without requiring extra energy!
You cake the test here to discover your chronotype: https://thepowerofwhenquiz.com/. Then come back to read the tips to discover how to harness its power!
Of course, the indications below are based on what would be an ideal day for the lion chronotype. However, you know as well as me that it's not always possible to follow it perfectly.
So what I recommend is to preserve your productivity peak as much as possible. Why? Because that's when you are able to get the most work done with the least effort. So, for example, you should avoid booking meetings or doing busywork during those hours. Instead, you should use them to tackle your most important tasks of the day!
Note: the following information is based on Dr. Breus' book, The Power of When.
Facts about lions:
Lions are the early risers. They usually wake up at dawn, or even earlier, and go to bed early.
"Most CEOs and entrepreneurs are Lions." Lions often assume leadership roles.
They're usually the first ones to arrive at the office.
Because lions have a staggered bio-time compared to the bear majority (they wake up and go to bed earlier), the tips are given below can help them stay awake a bit longer and enjoy more social events.
The perfect schedule for Lions:
Wake up time: 5:30 A.M.
Many lions are tempted to work out right away when they wake up, according to Breus. But he encourages lions to train in the afternoon instead. This will allow them to get an energy boost when their energy starts decreasing.
Lions should instead eat breakfast right after waking up. Their breakfast should be rich in protein and low in carbs (example: eggs, yogurt, chia seed pudding, quinoa porridge).
Productivity peak: mid-morning
This is the best period to tackle the most important and demanding tasks of your day. If you can, isolate yourself to be completely focused. Turn off all notifications and useless tabs that could disturb you. And get things done!
I find that this is the best time to tackle tasks that require logical thinking, concentration, and/or to learn something new. Here are a few examples of such tasks: study, do research, edit a text, solve problems, analyze data.
Creativity peak: all afternoon
Lions are super productive in the morning, which means that when the afternoon comes, they've already given everything they had in terms of productivity and focus.
But this is not a problem at all because they have a creative peak instead. In the afternoon, lions should not force themselves to do analytical work or problem-solving because it would be counterproductive.
Instead, they should focus on brainstorming, thinking outside of the box, and finding innovative ideas. It's the best moment for them to have meetings with their colleagues to come up with new ideas.
If your job entails some sort of creative work, keep it for the afternoon. Creative work can be finding a slogan, creating a demo, finding a creative way to pitch your product to a prospect, writing down your speech for an upcoming conference, etc.
Breus also encourages lions to use this time to journal, jot down their ideas, doodle. They should let their mind ramble freely for a few minutes. They could come up with great ideas!
Sleep time: 10:30 P.M.
Make sure you turn off all your devices by 10:00 P.M. to avoid disrupting your sleep.
Use the hours in the evening to interact with your loved ones and/or do some personal creative activities (write, play an instrument, draw, etc.).
It's also a great time to brainstorm and do activities that stimulate your creativity, like reading, meditating, or talking with your loved ones.
If you do end up making some of the adjustments, I'd love to know if whether they worked or not. You can let me know in the comments below, on Instagram or Facebook!
And don't forget to download the free workbook to have a summary of your chronotype's schedule and tools to help you implement it in your organization system!
As always, I wish you a zenly organized week,
Sarah
Sources:
Breus, M. (2016). The Power of When: Learn the Best Time to do Everything. Vermilion.
© Lion by Saeful Muslim from the Noun Project