Write More. Know When.
How you can maximize your writing productivity by changing your schedule
There’s something about the 90 minutes after lunch that drives me absolutely crazy. In the past, I got zero writing done from 2pm-3:30pm and I hated it (yes, I eat lunch late). I would sit down to enjoy a healthy meal at 1:45 and then I’d be mental toast for the next hour and a half while my body does its digestion thing and I zone out or stare dully at a blank screen.
Well, it turns out, our brains are better at different kinds of tasks at different times. According to a study that compared the tweets of 509 million people in 84 countries, most people are in a good, focused mood all morning until right afternoon. They wake up in a fairly good mood and then their mood continues to improve until lunchtime.
Unfortunately, though, that’s when our mood begins a downward trend. Another study shows that people’s capacity for cognitive reasoning holds steady until 2pm. After that, it makes a belly flop in the deep end. Wah wah. Well, at least it makes me feel better about my personal lack of productivity.
Over the past few days, though, I have applied these ideas to my writing schedule and I’ve seen a significant uptick in both the quality of my work and the quantity of my work. Here is how my schedules have differed:
Previous Writing Schedule
5am — Coffee, morning grooming, write
6:30am — 3 mile run and have a second cup of coffee
7:30am — Wake up my kid, feed him, get him to school
9am — Write some more
10am — Get my body moving by doing dishes, laundry, making the bed, gardening, etc.
11:30am — Write more or work on virtual course creation
1pm — Cook a fabulous lunch
1:45pm — Eat said fabulous lunch
2pm — Mindlessly waste hours hopping from task to task like a ferret in a grocery store
4pm — Realize I only have one more hour to work, freak out that I didn’t get much done, and quickly write something haphazardly and usually crappy that I will mostly delete the next day
5pm — Get my kid, hang out with him for 3 hours
8pm — Cook dinner, clean, call friends, check email
9:30pm — Go to bed
New Writing Schedule
5am — Coffee, morning grooming, write
6:30am — 3 mile run and have a second cup of coffee
7:30am — Wake up my kid, feed him, get him to school
9am-1pm — Write some more using 5–10 minute breaks every hour and/or on my treadmill desk
1pm — Cook a fabulous lunch
1:45pm — Eat said fabulous lunch
2pm — Laundry, dishes, email, gardening, mindless life crap
3:30pm — Edit and read articles other people have written, research and format eBooks
5pm — Get my kid, hang out with him for 3 hours
8pm — Cook dinner, clean, call friends, check email
9:20pm — Brainstorm new story ideas with my husband
9:30pm — Go to bed
Small Changes — Big Results
In the short time that I have employed these changes, I have seen an increase of about 30% in my daily word count output. I also feel better about myself because I haven’t wasted the hours in the middle of the day mindlessly jumping from unproductive task to unproductive task and scrolling through the latest athleisure wear from Lululemon.
Here is a roundup of the changes I made:
- Extend my morning writing time into a larger chunk with very small breaks
- Move all physical labor tasks, tasks that don’t require a lot of mental energy, and information-gathering tasks to after lunch
- Brainstorm story ideas right before bed
There are a few things to note in relation to these changes. First, I’ve found that it’s helpful to brainstorm ideas with another human. I like to have a sounding board and I tend to come up with more fleshed-out story outlines and more ideas in general when I can have a dialogue. My husband is sometimes slightly unwilling, but after a glass of wine and after we get going, it’s a fun bonding exercise. And then SOMETIMES he’ll read my writing.
Additionally, I will admit that the long morning writing sessions are exhausting, but as long as I keep my nose to the grindstone and REFRAIN FROM CHECKING EVERY EMAIL THAT COMES THROUGH, I’m golden. I’ve found that turning off notifications is so helpful as well. It’s scary but totally worth it.
By the time I get to 2pm, I am ready to stand up, get the blood pumping, and do some physical tasks. I am a very physical person and the 2pm-3:30pm period of housework helps me feel rejuvenated and staves off the afternoon blues. And, by 3:30, while I’m not mentally as sharp, I’m ready to get a few more things done before the end of my day.
Not every person’s internal clocks are the same (if you want to know more about circadian rhythms, click here), but if you’re a lark like me, maximizing the time at the beginning of the day is crucial for increasing your productivity. I’m sure I’ll shift my schedule over time in some ways, but this has helped me recently and I hope it helps you as well!
