Getting To Know You and Your Productivity Peaks


Getting To Know You and Your Productivity Peaks

Getting to know people is a wonderful gift.

Everyone deserves a few minutes. Everyone deserves a “hello.”

But what about you? Do you really know you? Do you give yourself the same respect and honor as you share with others? And why does this really matter?

“To know thyself is the beginning of wisdom.” This famous quote is often attributed to Socrates.

There are many reasons why “knowing thyself” is important but for today’s blog I’m going to share the healthy career perspective on personal productivity.

Knowing your productivity peaks can be critical to success and your healthy career, according to an article in the Wall Street Journal entitled: How to Be Healthier, Happier and More Productive: It’s All in the Timing, by best selling author Daniel Pink. He explains that our mental habits and cognitive abilities fluctuate throughout the day, sometimes to the extreme.

“The performance change between the daily high point and the daily low point can be equivalent to the effect on performance of drinking the legal limit of alcohol,” writes Russell Foster, a neuroscientist and chronobiologist at the University of Oxford, and Leon Kreitzman in their book “Rhythms of Life.”

If that isn’t proof that knowing thyself is critical to productivity, then I don’t know what is. Think about the time you dedicate to fitness. If you find that you’re more energetic in the morning then you probably use that time wisely for workouts.

Mornings are a critical time for productivity. When you are well-rested you are able to take on challenges and be more productive and creative in your endeavors. That’s why energy-fueled mornings shouldn’t be wasted on mindless tasks or responding to others requests (unless of course, it’s an emergency or doing so is your career priority).

Take some time over the next week to plot your productivity peaks and then reserve them for your most important personal and professional endeavors. Know and respect yourself by limiting interruptions during that peak period, even if you can only reserve yourself an hour.

See what happens. I’d love to hear what you learn about yourself.

Kim Monaghan, PCC, RYT, CPBS is the owner of KBM Coaching & Consulting LLC, a boutique Human Resources Consulting and Career Coaching Firm serving a national clientele. 

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*Always consult with your physician prior to experimenting with any exercises, recipes, health advice and nutrition initiatives shared in this blog.