Great question! This might be a good exercise to actually journal to see how right/wrong I am.
Most days I would assume look like a bellcurve: This is assuming an unstructured day with no set-in-stone commitments—nowhere to be. My mornings I might expect to be very unproductive until mid-afternoon (2pm to 4pm). I rarely have “Eureka” moments (which I would hope tend to be more rational decisions) but when I do, they are mid-afternoon, but I also seem to have the wherewithall to actually complete tasks. Eureka Moments always cause a surge of activity. If I have a short dinner break then this usually can last until 9pm.
Now, when I’m editing a video that is implicitly related to my career goals. Video Edit days probably look more like a sawtooth wave. I edit at home. When I’m editing a particularly involved video I will often start around 10am or earlier. I tend to work in 45-60 minute blocks on and off throughout the afternoon. I might return sometimes around 8 or 9 for a final push of editing. or at least I’ll journal my thoughts/progress/to-do for the next day.
You may have identified a meta-problem: I do not have a system to be achieving my goals every day. Somedays—like when I have a video to edit—I will be actively working towards them. Most days, I don’t.
Why do I start so many hours earlier when I have a video edit to do? I’m guessing it’s as simple as there is a clear plan broken down into actions. My instrumental rationality—as opposed to meaningless or timesink activity—is directly proportional to how granular a plan is, and how specifically it is broken down into actionable steps.
Great question! This might be a good exercise to actually journal to see how right/wrong I am.
Most days I would assume look like a bellcurve: This is assuming an unstructured day with no set-in-stone commitments—nowhere to be. My mornings I might expect to be very unproductive until mid-afternoon (2pm to 4pm). I rarely have “Eureka” moments (which I would hope tend to be more rational decisions) but when I do, they are mid-afternoon, but I also seem to have the wherewithall to actually complete tasks. Eureka Moments always cause a surge of activity. If I have a short dinner break then this usually can last until 9pm.
Now, when I’m editing a video that is implicitly related to my career goals. Video Edit days probably look more like a sawtooth wave. I edit at home. When I’m editing a particularly involved video I will often start around 10am or earlier. I tend to work in 45-60 minute blocks on and off throughout the afternoon. I might return sometimes around 8 or 9 for a final push of editing. or at least I’ll journal my thoughts/progress/to-do for the next day.
You may have identified a meta-problem: I do not have a system to be achieving my goals every day. Somedays—like when I have a video to edit—I will be actively working towards them. Most days, I don’t.
Why do I start so many hours earlier when I have a video edit to do? I’m guessing it’s as simple as there is a clear plan broken down into actions. My instrumental rationality—as opposed to meaningless or timesink activity—is directly proportional to how granular a plan is, and how specifically it is broken down into actionable steps.