I read a very good post on ReadWriteWeb entitled Why Web Working Rocks: It Lets Us Live in the Moment. In summary, the post outlines the scheduling flexibility in being self-employed. What the post got me thinking about is how we fall into daily routines and do not revisit the logic that established the routine.
Many of us have the day dictated by job requirements, but many of us have actually reached a management level where we can set our own schedule or office hours are somewhat flexible. So why do you show up at the office every day at 9am? Answer: routine.
For the last four months I have been experimenting with a completely different schedule. I no longer feel guilty about not working on client assignments by 7am. The first three hours of everyday (6-9am) are devoted to doing what I want to do. Typically I read, exercise and walk the dog. This leisurely approach to the day actually puts me in a better frame of mind for client work. For reasons I do not fully understand, my mind seems to work better if I "warm it up" with the random thinking associated with dog walking rather than immediately jumping into drafting an investment summary or building a financial model. I have also noticed that my productivity is higher now even though I have 2-3 hours less time to work. Maybe the brain also needs to warm up before it really exercises or perhaps aerobic exercise makes the brain work better. (Research has shown that cognitive thinking is improved by aerobic exercise but not by things like weight lifting or stretching.)
The other thing I have done is to not over stress about schedules. Instead of finishing things as soon as possible, I now space out the work. What I find with this approach is that I bring more fresh thinking to the projects because I have not already spent ten consecutive hours on them. The other thing I do is I never spend more than two hours on the same project and there is no order to the way I work on projects. Client engagements, blogging, writing my book or prepping for class all have an equal and random priority. This approach means that you work on what you want to work on, which greatly improves the quality of the end product.
In summary, re-consider your daily routine, question why you have the routine and do more of what you want to do. The improved results in all aspects of your life may surprise you.
Note: after I wrote this post I read an interesting article in the New York Times. The article "How to Train the Aging Brain" states:
“We need to know stuff. But we need to move beyond that and
challenge our perception of the world. If you always hang around with
those you agree with and read things that agree with what you already
know, you’re not going to wrestle with your established brain
connections.”
Such stretching is exactly what scientists say best
keeps a brain in tune: get out of the comfort zone to push and nourish
your brain. Do anything from learning a foreign language to taking a
different route to work."
Perhaps the randomness I have injected in my life is good for my aging brain,forcing it to make new connections. Perhaps these new connections from less routine are why I see improved productivity.
Image credit: Flickr.com
