What I learned from "When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing"

The power of timing

In 2019 I attended the Clio Conference in San Diego. I was blown away by the keynote speakers. All of them were incredible.

One of them, Daniel Pink, spoke about our relationship with time. He spoke about "early birds" and "nights owls" (and he briefly mentioned a third type, which intrigued me so much I had to buy his book). In other words, he talked about our chronotypes and how they affect us throughout the day - when we are more tired, creative or analytical, for example.

A former lawyer, Pink writes books about science for laypeople. His book, WHEN, is one that changed my view about the expectations I hold for myself and others and how to maximize my potential.

Upon reading his book, I confirmed that I am a "third bird" (which most of us are). It validated why I can't wake up at 5:30am to work out or draft something intelligible, but I am "in the zone" at 6pm with tasks that require a high level of concentration. It made me realize the importance of time-blocking the latter parts of my day for deep work, and using the morning for tasks that I find easier, like marketing, admin, and email management.

It made me realize that the afternoon slump is not you or me but biology, and that it is best to be thoughtful about what you schedule during that window (and yes, it seems that time when most of us need a siesta is pretty universal and applies across cultures and time zones).

I learned that entrepreneurs are often night owls, which makes sense because the traditional workday is not suited to their chronotype.

I learned the power of a "fresh start", which could be January 1st, a milestone birthday or a Monday (Pink provides 86 days in the year you can use for a fresh start).

I learned about the power of naps (though still haven't found a way to incorporate them into my day). Pink provides instructions on how to take a perfect nap, which includes the shocking suggestion to "down a cup of coffee" before napping (he explains why in the book).

I learned that seemingly simple questions about timing, such as "when is the best time to exercise?" are complicated and depend on your goals (to lose weight? avoid injury? boost your mood?).

I learned to avoid drinking coffee immediately when I wake up. This helps me to take advantage of the natural process of waking that can be interrupted by caffeine.

I learned that I should avoid scheduling important medical visits during the aforementioned afternoon slump, when mistakes are far more likely.

I learned that studies have shown that judges' rulings are affected by the time of day (spoiler alert: judges were more likely to issue a favourable ruling in the morning).

I learned about the power of a short break to increase our performance, concentration, creativity and motivation. And that when taking breaks, it is better to move around than to stay still, better to be social than alone, and better to be outside. Perhaps not surprisingly, it is also better to detach from technology rather than try to multi-task.

I highly recommend WHEN to anyone trying to improve upon their self-awareness or managerial skills. And I hope that you take this blog as a cue for your own "fresh start" to re-evaluate how you organize your day.

Categories: : Book Recommendation