When Is Your Peak Performance Time?

When Are You At Your Best?

Each of us has a body rhythm. For some, energy is highest in the morning. For others, it’s at night. Few people have consistent energy throughout the day. In fact, I don’t know anybody for whom that’s true. Knowing when you’re at your best, your peak performance time means you can take advantage of it.

Make the Most of It

Peak performance time is when you’re at your best. You have more clarity and can focus and get things done more easily. It’s when you’re most creative.

For me, I’m best in the morning. I’m an early riser. I don’t know when the last time was  I set an alarm clock. My natural rhythm wakes me early. That also means I want to go to bed early. My husband, on the other hand, is the opposite: Late riser and late to bed. (And still, we’re a perfect match!)

What that means for me is that if I have a creative project or am working on something requiring a lot of brainpower, the best time for me to work on it is in the morning. I seldom schedule meetings out of the office for mornings. I don’t want to lose those hours I know are my peak performance times. I want to take full advantage of those hours.

Know Your Time

Think about your patterns and the work you do. Are you brighter in the morning or later in the day? When do you do your best thinking?

Now, how can you use that knowledge to your advantage?

Plan your day and your activities. Got a big proposal to knock out? Do it during your peak performance time. Writing a speech? Designing a workshop? Creating copy for your website? Do those when you’re at your best, during your peak performance time.

Save other activities for when you don’t need to be at the top of your game, like engaging through social media, or meeting prospects, clients, and colleagues for coffee. The more social the activity, the less you need to tap into your natural cycle.

At Home

The same applies at home, though there are probably fewer things where your focus and concentration need to be at their peak. But when one of those things does pop up, use what you know about your cycles to be sure and optimize the strengths you have during your peak performance times.

You know yourself. Use that knowledge to get things done faster and more easily.