The 25th Hour Between 11 & 7
- The meeting had to be postponed...
- The break you intended to spend with your colleagues happened to be a lot shorter than expected...
- That free evening got erased by a 1min call from your boss...
- That planned dinner with your spouse got canceled just like your flight back home...
- ...
Seems familiar? It is to me!
Here is a strange but certain truth...
The only time that you are really in control of, is the time between 11pm and 7am.
Why: Everybody else might be asleep and assumes you to be as well. Therefore, this is the only chance you can catch up with whatever is important to you personally.
- You want to run or work out more - run late at night or before sunrise!
- You want to work on yourself (reading, writing, listening to an audio book, etc.) - don’t count on the lunch break!
- You want to build a side business or study - if you are anything like me business #1 will certainly prevent you from doing so.
- You want to meditate, plan, structure, organize - avoid the trouble of the day.
In a nutshell: If you want to go the personal extra mile - become a night shifter or early bird!
Not convinced yet?
Maybe you need a few role models...
A former colleague of mine has the following daily routine:
getting up at 5 am, going on a 15- to 17-kilometer run. Coming back, waking up his daughter, bringing her to school, heading to the office, executing a demanding 80 hour plus job, heading home, family time, bed, ... alarm clock. He is a proud father, the fittest guy on the floor and among the highest paid ones...
A mentor of mine has 4 daughters between 3 and 13 years old... and about a hundred people working for him: he made his Ph.D. while working full time and handling his family. How? Coming home from work, spending time with wife and daughters, being back at the desk (home office) after they all went to bed (around 11.30 pm) for some mails and presentations, switching subject about an hour later and working on his Ph. D. until exactly 4 am. Then going to bed and being back in the office at around 10.30 am. Though for sure, yet possible.
Or ask this guy: Dwayne The Rock Johnson - 4.am, some coffee then cardio, followed by his first meal of the day, then hitting the weights (clangin’ and bangin’ in Rock-speak) before heading for shootings, meetings and press conferences - no matter where he is on the globe... Reference example: https://www.instagram.com/p/BRtx17iFvfJ/?taken-by=therock
All of them could reorganize their routines, trying to fit in all relevant parts into the day using a much more relaxed schedule - but they don’t. For a reason.
They seem to know that the day gets longer as soon as you shift things into that 11 - 7 window.
Join them and try to get YOUR time in - somewhere in between dusk and dawn.
May your alarm ring loud and clear, may your nights be bright, and your mornings as productive as early!
Your m