A reader asked me the other day about the “best” times to work. I personally don’t think there are any times that are “best” for everyone.

Most people naturally go through periods of high energy and low energy during the day.

These patterns tend to be fairly consistent from one day to the next, and can vary quite a bit from person to person. Some people work better in the morning, while others work better later in the day.

One way to discover your own energy pattern is to use a simple time log to record how much energy and focus you feel at each hour during the day. Keep this log for a couple of days and see if you spot any consistent trends of energy and focus.

Then, it’s just a matter of adjusting your work to match your energy patterns. When you can, do difficult or complex work during your energy highs and save routine or mindless tasks for the energy lows.

One tool to help you do this is a time chart.

Here is what a time chart looks like in Achieve Planner:

Click on Image to Enlarge