Peak Productivity

We’d all love to be productive all of the time.

Unfortunately, it’s not possible because we’re also guilty of falling into distraction.

Let’s learn how to identify and make the most of your peak productivity hours, following these 4 recommendations.

1. Identify Your Peak Productivity Hours

Keep a log for a couple of days. Every 2–3 hours check to see if you feel awake and productive or sluggish and tired. Once you know what your most productive hours are, assign them to work without distractions.

For example, most people have their peak productivity hours in the first two hours after waking, but, also most people spend this time on social media. So, if you tend to spend your time on social media in the morning, cutting into your peak productivity hours, may help you improve!

2. Identify Your Own Daily Rhythm

Are you a morning person, a night owl, or maybe you are somewhere in between?

Most people go through a predictable pattern every day: a peak, a trough, and a recovery phase.

For example, a morning person may be more alert between 7 and 10 am, sluggish after lunch, and regain steam at 4 pm. A person who’s a night owl may feel mentally sharpest from 9 pm-1 am. 

So, identify your own daily rhythm, create your personal timesheet schedule work, and use it to your advantage.

3. Identify Your Current Tasks

Óne thing is to be aware of your most productive hours, but another is to be able to prioritize that time to work on your most important tasks. So, the next step in prioritizing these tasks is to figure out what your principal responsibilities are.

Write down every task you can think of. If you don’t have to do them at a certain time, then just set them as secondary responsibilities.

4. Identify Your Most Important Responsibilities

Peak energy tasks – require to be done when you’re feeling wide awake.

Mid-level energy tasks – need some thinking but are not as important.

Low-level energy tasks – can be done when you’re feeling fatigued or sleepy.

Make sure you fill your mental peak times with your hardest tasks, you need the most concentration to perform them.

For example, a dressmaker has to use the sewing machine at her peak. When she has medium levels of energy, she can reply to messages from her customers. When she has low levels of mental energy, she can make errands like going to buy buttons.