Ben Halpern

Posted on Jun 25, 2019

What time of day are you most productive?

#discuss #productivity

Top comments (83)

My productivity is dynamic and highly optimized for the periods of the day when I don't need to be productive. It's taken years of training and hard work to achieve, but I can proudly say that I'm nearly never productive when I need to be.

Ross Henderson • Jun 26 '19

(From the Dilbert Comics)

Rizwan⚡️ • Jun 25 '19

I'm jealous. :)

Ryland G • Jun 25 '19 • Edited

It’s magical, you should be

ADONIS SIMO • Jun 25 '19

any advice ?

Ryland G • Jun 25 '19

Maybe reread what I wrote (haha).

But sure I have some advice. Build a schedule, doesn't matter what the schedule is but stick to it. You'll be amazed by how your brain will automatically try to do things on schedule after a short period of time.

bvmcode • Jun 25 '19

morning, 7am to 10am I am pretty solid.

Travis Simpson • Jun 25 '19

Same for me. Some days it can be earlier, from 5am - 9am or so, but I've found that my brain power tends to decline right around 1:30/2pm, so I try to do as much as possible long before then.

bvmcode • Jun 25 '19

Yeah, as the day gets older there tends to be more meetings and those are just a total freaking drain on anything good and holy in this world.

Bradley Wells • Jun 26 '19 • Edited

Same for me. I am most productive from early in the morning all the way up until about the time I get tired of being productive. That's not to say I can't be productive in the afternoons; I just don't always want to be. I value a good siesta time.

Jaimie Carter • Jun 25 '19

Yep. Me too.

Igor Ilic • Jun 25 '19

I'm mostly productive when everyone else asleep, at times between 1 and 6 am...

I've even managed sometimes to arrange my schedule in a way that I would sleep from 6pm to midnight and than wake up and start working until 7am so I can get ready and go to work and do a 8am-4pm shift, get back home, sleep and do it again.

I know its not the best practice but that is when I'm most productive and I do more stuff in that time than I could ever do during my regular hours. But sadly I can't get my company to let me work on that schedule

Peter Kim Frank • Jun 25 '19

Mornings for focused productivity and uninterrupted progress on "deep work." By most evenings I'm pretty burnt out, but if I have more work to do, I'll do really quick and dirty "drafts" of emails or other projects that I'll clean up in the morning.

Arit Developer • Jun 25 '19

This is hard for me to answer; due to my kids, I have learned to pull productivity out of the busiest of times 😄

But were I still living alone, I'd say early in the morning, and early evening as a close second.

Sarah Katz • Jun 25 '19

While I'm drinking my coffee, mostly.

Ben Halpern • Jun 25 '19

😄

edgarngg • Jun 25 '19

So how big is your mug?

Sarah Katz • Jun 26 '19

16oz. But I refill it if I have a lot to get done.

Anwar • Jun 25 '19 • Edited

I feel weird... Definitively 10-12 PM (maybe later the night, depends how much I am motivated) .

The night is so peaceful, no sounds at home, plenty time to try dev things, continuing my side projects, really the best moment (now commuting, can't wait to come home and start my "second" day 😂)

Timothy Fosteman • Jun 25 '19

Cal Newport wrote his wonderful 'Deep Work', where he talked about undisturbed workflow.
For me it's always about period of time between 3am and 7am for I am a college student.
Though, of course, factual productivity depends on vigorosity of the moment!

edgarngg • Jun 25 '19

Remote worker here. Complex stuff in the morning, struggle less with distractions, more tedious stuff before noon. After that it's just attempts to stay focused with intermittent work. I try to sleep early.