Early Birds or Midnight Oil?

The other day I saw an infographic on Instagram that said if you wake up two hours earlier, you will have a ful month at the end of the year that no one else had. The math makes sense in a certain way. 2 hours times 365 days divided by 24 hours equals 30.4 days total. However that ends up being a bad statistic.

Let’s say something point blank. YOU NEED SLEEP. The human body craves it. By skipping sleep you are hurting your own health AND you are hurting your sales. People who are overtired are miserable, and miserable people have a tough time making sales. It is a simple thought process to follow. Yet people get told this advice all the time.

Think about when you see someone and you can tell they are tired right away. They have bags under their eyes and you can see the lethargy building in their body. It seems like their shoulders will be slumped like that forever. Is this the kind of person you would feel comfortable buying from?

So we can all agree you need a full night of sleep. Whatever that entails for you, make sure you get it. Do not short change yourself.

So why are there so many people suggesting you wake up early?

Well first, what to do they suggest you do when you wake up early? It is usually something along the lines of planning your day, reading, exercising, and meditation? Is there anything on that list that is hours specific? Ypou can work out, meditate, and plan your day before bed too. Why should it be in the morning?

It does not have to be. The key is to understand how you are most comfortable. My current boss likes to work out in the middle of the day because that recharges him. I like to sit in a quiet pick up truck at the end of the day and revisit everything while it is still fresh in my mind. The acts of self examination is what is effective, not the hour that it is done.

Personally, I have always been a night person. I do my best thinking in a dark room at the end of the day. That is how I am the most comfortable. I am currently writing this at about 10pm, and I have a lot more to work on tonight too.

Stop focusing on which hours you need to work, and instead simply put the hours in. If the typical 9-5 isn’t your best time see if you can find a job more conducive to the times you are the most productive. The internet has allowed people to pick their hours in ways never seen before.

Yes, you need to work out and spend time planning and evaluating your decisions if you want to be successful. That does not need to happen before the sun comes up. It just has to happen every day.

Don’t believe advice just because everyone else is saying it. Instead try things for yourself and see what works best for you.