I Finally Decided To Embrace My Inner Night Owl
The Beauty Of Freelancing Is That We have More Control Over Our Schedules And Yet The Idea Of Being A Morning Person Is Still Too Prevalent
I always struggled with morning. After my parents stopped taking me to school, I was late almost every single day. To this day, I’m convinced that I can get ready in no time at all and as a consequence, I’m always late or at least end up starting my day with a mad rush to get somewhere on time.
For the longest time, I felt guilty that I can’t just get up early and be productive, like most people. I never wanted to work less or spend less hours at work, I just didn’t want to get out of bed before 9 or 10 am. I also need time to leisurely drink my coffee, read just for fun, eat something slowly and just let myself wake up gently and slowly.
When I finally was in a position to start tweaking my own work hours, I started setting some rules that made my life easier and better.
No meetings before 11. I didn’t take calls before 10 and I usually didn’t arrive in the office before 9:30. This wasn’t too drastic, or so I thought. And yet it became a topic of discussion multiple times, with multiple people. I was told if everyone else can do it, then so can I. I asked why it was such a bad thing that I start later and leave later. No one could answer the question. It wasn’t that my work couldn’t be done during the hours I set for myself or me arriving an hour and a half later than everyone else became an issue. It was just the fact that people got used to what “office hours” meant.
I’m taking it one step further this year.
At the end of last year, I left my role at a consulting firm and decided to spend a year, or at least 6 months with just trying to find myself, build a new routine, build some healthy habits and generally focus on the things that make me happy.
I started writing as a form of therapy, but it also gives my days and weeks some structure. While I don’t like rules that only exist for the sake of us having rules, or rigid structures and schedules that made no sense, I always liked to have a routine. Just not one that starts before 10 am.
Since the 1st of January, I turned my schedule upside down. I wake up, make some coffee and then go back to bed. I drink my coffee as slowly as humanly possible. I even take my breakfast back to bed. I read what I want to read, for myself. Whether it’s the latest fiction novel or articles I’ve been saving up, it doesn’t matter. I stopped mindlessly scrolling on social media though.
By the time I’m ready to actually start my day, it’s usually past 12pm. But I still don’t do any “work”. This is when I do everything that has to be done during “business hours”, running errands if you’d like. I try not to make appointments before 11am. But the later the better.
By the time I sit down to write, tackle any of my homework from language school, look at my emails or do any life admin that isn’t time sensitive, it’s usually past 4pm. But this is when I’m finally fully awake and functional and have the most energy.
In just 4–5 hours, I can do as much as I would normally do in 8 or 10. I know because I trialed this previously but it was not compatible with my job. But now I can finally truly set my own schedule. While I don’t work in the classic sense of the work, taking a break from having a “regular” job, doesn’t mean I don’t have other things in my life that replace that.
Thins I still have to schedule and fit into the regular business day have to be carefully considered and prioritised.
I know that deciding to not conform with regular business hours is a luxury. Very few people will be able to do this. It also isn’t always easy.
I can usually only fit one thing into my day, even if I’d have the time otherwise. If I schedule a doctor’s appointment for 1pm, chances are, I won’t be able to also schedule a meeting for the same day. Sometimes I still have to compromise and conform.
Each week, I write a list with things that need to be done. I start with scheduling the most important things first and then plan around those appointments.
Not trying to force myself to meet other people’s expectations removed a huge amount of pressure.
On days when I could work from home, I didn’t get out of bed until a really really had to. And I felt so guilty about it. Instead of having an easier, more relaxed day, I had a more stressful one because I was constantly thinking about what I should be doing, how I should be even more productive and I should use my time better.
Ever since I said it out loudly that I am turning my schedule upside down, I don’t think about what I should be doing. I know everything I have to do gets done. It gets done in less time than it used to take me. I don’t feel the pressure of having to be an early bird and I don’t beat myself up about how I might be able to do even more if I was out of bed by 7am.
Being a morning person is not for everyone.
Somehow waking up early and doing a lot before even getting into the office or starting the first meeting for the day became synonymous with being productive.
We see all these articles about the mourning routines of highly successful people. But are these the routines everyone really wants and likes? Or is it just something most people got used to or tolerate because that’s what we consider normal?
I heard so many people talking about how they love to get to the office early, because it’s quiet, no one interrupts them and they can get so much work done. So what is wrong with staying late and enjoying the silence after everyone left? I prefer to focus on my own work when I don’t have anything else left on my to do list. I don’t have time constraints. I don’t have to keep track of time. I can sit quietly and do what I have to do, without having to interrupt my thought process to go to a meeting or someone calling me to discuss a different task or project.
I learned that productivity is not tied to a particular part of the day. And now I’m saying goodbye to ever trying to become a morning person.
