How to Perfectly Time Your Life, With Author Daniel Pink
This week, we’ll learn how to get the perfect moment with New York Times bestselling author Daniel Pink. Hear Daniel explain why some hours of the day are more productive than others, what chronotypes are and how they affect your energy throughout the day, how we can combat the midday slump, and why certain dates are more effective than others at starting a new routine. …
Daniel is the author of a new Mind , Drive , to sell this man , andmost recently when: Scientific Secrets perfect the Timing .
Highlights from this week’s series
From an interview with Daniel Pink
The best times of the day for productive work:
We usually advance during the day in three stages: peak, decline, recovery. Early afternoon peak, mid-day minimum, early to mid-day, recovery, late afternoon, early evening. What we do know is during the peak, which for 80 percent of us comes early in the day (not for [night] owls. We’ll come back to that in a moment). For 80 percent of us, this peak period is when we are most alert. Vigilance means we can get rid of distractions. So the research shows very clearly that during this peak period we have to do analytical work. Analytical work is simply work that requires persistent attention and concentration.
On the importance of midday breaks:
We have underestimated breaks … I started by saying, “Okay, I’m going to write about the pattern of the day, and the breaks will be on several pages.” And when I start looking at research on breaks, breaks end up in a separate chapter, because there are so many great break studies out there. So what we have to do is that we have to do it during this minimum period, we have to take breaks, take more breaks. We have to take certain breaks. What we know from research on interruptions is that taking breaks where you are or where you move is better for recuperating than taking breaks when you are sedentary. In today’s world of social distancing, breaks in relationships with others that are done properly are better for recovery, and breaks are better on their own. Breaks are completely disabled, meaning you leave your phone behind. And in fact, some really amazing research suggests that being outside is more rejuvenating than being inside. So we should take more breaks, being very conscious about breaks.
When is the best time to start a new habit or change your lifestyle:
So, a temporary landmark, if you are thinking of a physical landmark, you are trying to find your way somewhere. You expect to see a certain landmark. And what will you do when you get to this attraction? You slow down a little. You are guided. And there are certain dates that serve as time guidelines. They make us slow down … There are certain dates when we basically open up a new ledger about ourselves and say … “It’s a new day and I’m opening a new ledger.” Thus, this means that for a behavior change, people are more likely to start a behavior change and therefore are more likely to maintain that behavior change on some days compared to others. So if you want to say, start a new productivity regimen, a new way of eating, or something similar, you’re actually better off starting on a new start date. So it’s Monday, not Wednesday. The 1st, not the 17th. The day after your birthday, rather than two weeks before your date of birth, some dates are more important in this regard.
For more of Daniel’s ingenious timing advice, we recommend listening to the entire episode!
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