Brother,
If it’s not done before noon, it’s not done at all.
I’m not sure where the phrase comes from, but I relate to it when it comes to work requiring brainpower. During my last few years at Uber, I never did meetings before 11 am (most days, even noon). I was up much earlier, but this was my time to “Get Shit Done.”
I would tackle my biggest items for the day and felt accomplished before the barrage of meetings and “perceived fires” that would inevitably emerge. Also, I’m just sharper in the morning. My mind is fresh without the noise and fatigue that comes throughout the day.
Jeff Bezos (Amazon), Daniel Ek (Spotify), and many other A-class CEOs plan their most important decisions around 10 am - when they are most sharp. Bezos goes even further and prevents himself from making any big decisions after 5 pm. It gets pushed to the next day.
I guess that’s what they mean when they say, “let me sleep on it.”
I’m sure some will claim they are evening people, implying this doesn’t apply to them. The broader point is to carve out time when you are fresh and reserve it for yourself.
Let me leave you with a quote and a question
“Lose an hour in the morning, and you will spend all day looking for it.”
-Richard Whately
When is your mind most sharp?
Enjoy the dance,
Nate