If I’m not at my desk
by 4am I feel like I’m missing my most productive hours. In addition to
starting early, I keep an antique hour glass on my desk and every hour break
briefly to do push-ups, sit-ups, and some quick stretches. I find this helps
keep the blood (and ideas) flowing.
~ Dan Brown, writer
I did figure out that
I tended to write good stuff first thing in the morning. So I had all this free
time in the rest of the day that I had to occupy with something other than
writing. Because if I sat and wrote, I’d just bury the good stuff I’d written
in crap and have to excavate it later. I did some construction work with a friend
of mine. Basically, the work habit I developed out of all that was of setting
things up so I could write in the morning and then stop and exercise my
penchant for getting into the nitty-gritty details of physical things. Not
because that was productive in any way but because it kept me from screwing up
whatever I happened to be writing. I tried to pattern things that way ever
since.
~ Neal Stephenson, writer
Have you ever
experienced those situations? That no matter how hard you push yourself forward
at certain time of the day, you’re still unable to meet your target? Have you opted
to try to break your pattern of habits but yet it is still unachievable?
Ever since the day we
were born, our personality, thoughts and habits have been shaped in us through
the influences of the external environment. And these elements themselves aren’t
easy to break as it requires a huge energy of determination and persistence. If
those elements are those of positive and don’t cause any harm to self and
others, why not try to recognize and put your focus on them instead of breaking
them?
These questions will
help you in recognizing your peak performance pattern:
- Which time of the day am I most productive and focused?
- Am I an early bird or a night owl?
- What are the matters that distract me from my focus, and eventually disrupt the flow of the creative process, in which at times I won’t be able to regain the correct composure and need to call it a day?
- Which is the best way for me to perform well – working in an open space or isolate myself to complete my assignment?
- What is the maximum time I could remain static with one task or in a day?
- What are the physical signs that remind me on my overworking, that I need to take a break?
- When were the days when I feel mentally fatigue despite having sufficient and sound sleep? What were the matters I did on those days?
- Do I perform better under tight deadline, rushing from one task to another, and sometimes need to juggle between 2 tasks at a time?
- Do I perform better under last minute decision?
- Do I perform better under good and early planning?
- Do I perform better if I’m given sufficient time to work under my comfortable speed?
- Do I perform better and more focused if I focus on 1-2 tasks over a time period or multi-tasking?
- What are the tools I need for me to perform my best?
- What makes me feel satisfied and accomplished by the end of the day?
- Do I depend on myself or on others in order for me to perform well?
- Am I a self-started or need someone to push me to excel?
- How
many hours of rest time do I need in a day? In a week? When is the best
moment to take a rest?
I never could have
done what I have done without the habits of punctuality, order, and diligence,
without the determination to concentrate myself on one subject at a time.
~ Charles
Dickens
I couldn’t agree more
with Charles Dickens as those are the habits my parents have imparted into my
daily life since I started schooling to help me achieve excellence. I’m still practicing
these values and they have never disappointed me even once.
Two years back, when I
tried to break away from those habits of “being an early-bird” to suit myself
into the majority of “night owls, last minute practitioners and rushers”, all I
received is lack of the feelings of satisfaction and accomplishment by the end
of the day. On top of that, I felt even worse – mental fatigue despite
sufficient and sound sleep the night before. And this fatigueness would persist
until the arrival of the next rest day. Then, I realize that I shall stick to
my original pattern for me to achieve peak performance. I’m not part of the
majority but at least my “early-bird” attitude does not cause them any harm, it
eases them. When I feel satisfied and accomplished, the positive feelings will
linger around me, acting as motivation and inspiration for better performance.
What’s your pattern of
peak performance? You might have weird patterns but as long as it leads you to
excellence and happiness, everything else doesn’t matter anymore…
I write until the
first draft is finished, and then I feel that I can get out. But, during the
time of the writing of the first draft, I don’t go out. I’m just locked away,
writing. It’s a time of meditation, of going into the story. You know, I feel
that there’s a dark space, and I go into that dark space where the story is.
And I just have to show up every day with a candle, and slowly, it will start
to unfold…It’s a real candle, but it’s also a metaphysical candle…I don’t like
clocks. And if I have a candle, for as long as the candle is burning, I write.
And then, when it’s over, when it burns off, I can have dinner and get out, and
do things.
~ Isabel Allende, writer
From the time we’re
born until we die, we’re kept busy with artificial stuff that isn’t important.
Being able to escape makes it possible for me to deal with popular culture. I
get some of my best work done at the ranch. When I’m in town, I sit in front of
my computer, connected to the world. I need to go away in order to think.
~ Tom
Ford, designer
Occasionally, I go off
for a few days just to sit somewhere on my own. I refer to it as “going into
the abyss.” I don’t even take books because they’re another way of engaging in
the group consciousness. The idea is that I’ll spend some time in a quite
boring place where I don’t know anybody and I don’t speak the language.
~ Brian
Eno, musician
*Love and Hope for better tomorrow*
~Si3wLiNg~
20111106
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