What time of the day do you think better?
Which time is of your essence?
As Ben Franklin once mused: Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise. But, what time of the day did he think of that great saying? My experience is the opposite. Many great writers, musicians, and Talmudic scholars agree that 2am is the most auspicious time for unleashing untapped parts of your brain. Let me put it this way — hamsters aren’t the only animals that are nocturnal.
What’s in YOUR time zone?
It’s interesting that I was born at 12:38pm and generally get out of bed at around 12:38pm. So, when the rest of the world is hitting the sack, I’m returning to the womb. Astrology plays a role in when we get our best thinking done. I often have my resident astrologer pick the dates and times for my most important meetings with programmers and other business associates. But, different times of the day are better for different types of thinking. There is a lot of activity during the day, and interacting in a busy way makes sense during daylight. But, deeper more philosophical, esoteric, or contemplative thought is often more conducive during the bewitching hours of the night. Not only are there less distractions then — there are less thoughts in the atmosphere leaving you with clearer reception for your own thoughts and thoughts that come in from the cosmos.
Is there a time of day when you are more productive?
My astrologer and I believe that repetitive work is best done on a Tuesday. While on Wednesday, Mercury is in charge, and it is the best day for intense communication. Thursday is good for long term decisions as Jupiter is in charge. Friday is perfect for love or prayer (or praying that you get a date.) Each day has its own attributes. So, not only is the time of day critical for task optimization, but so is the day of the week.
Should you sleep more?
A formal study was done on junior high students by Finley Edwards of Colby College. Students who started the day an hour later did 3% better at math and reading. You might be able to think more clearly if you sleep more, nap more, or clear your head completely by meditating an hour or more per day. When people say, “Sleep on it,” you should take heed of this advice. It is advisable to get a good night’s sleep before making any large business decision. The sorting activity that your brain does while you are sleeping is analogous to letting the cleaning crew come into your cluttered office to throw out the junk and prepare for the next busy burst of activity.
Walk your cobwebs away
Some of the brightest thinkers of all time had a habit of taking a long walk every day. Studies show that walking in nature or even looking at trees out the window can calm your head and help activate the creative parts of your brain, while those that stare at computer screens for hours tend to get mentally frazzled. So, when it comes to clear thinking, make sure you “do windows.” Some people even hold important two-person meetings during walks since it is easier to think clearly while the brain is oxygenated and fresh. Putting aside what time of the day you think most clearly, try taking a walk before you think and see if that makes a difference. If you’re thinking about the benefits of walking, walk first so you can think about that issue more clearly. Walk first, think later.
Meditation divinizes the soul & mind
Meditation is an age-old tradition that has been perfected by the Hindus and Buddhists over the last few thousand years. Meditation not only clears the brain of its chatter, but clears your soul. Imagine how well you’ll think if your soul has been cleansed. Many feel that meditating for half an hour or so in the morning sets you in good spiritual and mental graces for the rest of the day! Why not start the day on the right foot.
Cleanliness is next to Godliness
It is a common tradition throughout many religions to bathe as an act of physical purification. But, bathing also cleanses your energy flow as well as your mental state. Muslims wash their hands, face and feet before prayer. Jews take a ritual bath in a Mikveh. Hindu Brahmins traditionally take two or more baths a day using a few drops of holy water from the Ganges. In addition to these religious types, my writer (a practicing agnostic) claims that he does his best thinking (and singing) in the shower. Personally, I would not do any serious business thinking without bathing, meditating, and of course getting a good night’s sleep the night before!
Sleepwalk your problems away
If sleeping and walking are both good prerequisites for deep thought, why not combine them? You could sleepwalk! And if you’re sleepwalking on a rainy day — don’t even get me started. But, the reason why I created this section is because many of my best business ideas came to me in dreams. So, don’t underestimate what goes on while you are sleeping.
I think best at the beach after sunset
I do a lot of my best business thinking out of the office. My home office has the vibration of activity. I need a more still environment for deeper thought. Some of my best ideas come while sitting next to the beach at night, or hanging out at my local spaghetti or sushi spots. Ideas just come to me at these places, and I just cannot explain why.
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