I tend to work on several projects simultaneously, and I have a tendency of getting things done on time and almost effortlessly. I am going to share how I manage this in a series of posts under the title “How to Get Things Done.” Of course you ought to remember that these are my methods and they may not work for you.

Let us get to it then. First things first, I would like you to know that I am a procrastinator. I love to put things off and I enjoy putting things off. Secondly, I dislike being told what to do by someone who obviously does not know what they are doing. It pisses me off.   Thirdly, I love to have things done my way (I am not a perfectionist, but I like to have things done as perfectly as possible and I am something of a control freak). Fourthly, I do not have a good discipline towards doing things I do not care for. I will go into more details on these habits in future posts but for today, I will focus on respecting one’s body’s time.

As a writer, I hear so many stories suggesting that the only time worth writing is in the morning. My Mom loves to get things done in the morning, too.  And she believes work ought to be finished by noon. This does not work for me at all. Every time I have tried to do serious work in the morning, I waste more time procrastinating than working. I love mornings, and I try to wake up around 8am but I am unsuccessful because I go to bed at dawn; sometimes after 4am (and I am a firm believer in at least seven hours of sleep, but I prefer to have my full eight hours…more if I am feeling depressed). I enjoy being quite in the morning. I like to take my time to wake up, workout, eat a good breakfast, listen to something nice, write in my journal about the day before, and try to recall and record my dreams.

Sometime after launch, I start feeling the pull to work, or be active, and that’s when I start getting things done. By dinner time, I feel the need for a break, and I like to take a walk if I am not feeling too lazy to get out of the house. By midnight I feel a bigger urge to work and it is hard to not give into it. I find it exciting to work late at night and at dawn. It is the best time for me to get things done well and quickly.

Respecting my body’s time is essential to my getting it to do what I need it to do. Knowing when to work helps me utilize my time properly, and not waste energy. I work in the mornings if I must but it is not the same as working at night, and it takes a lot more effort to focus.

So how do you go about figuring out your body’s time? Let go of your alarm clock for a bit––if you can––and tune in to your body’s language. It speaks!
Have a blast!
Jane