From the moment we wake up, we get swamped with Information, Crises/Issues/Problems, Meeting Requests, Phone Calls Etc. It is increasingly important that every individual figure out how best to maximize the output that can be derived from the fixed amount of time we all have every day.
On a typical working day, I am at my desk around 4-5 hours before the majority of my colleagues start coming in. And I do leave office well before the majority of my colleagues leave for the day.
My reasons for my typical Work Timings are:
(A) My mind is fresh
After a good night’s sleep, my mind is raring to go and may a times I have noticed that some of my most vexing problems were solved during that early morning window. A particular problem over which I might have spent hours dwelling on (the previous day), is solved within the first hour of waking up. In the Technology world, each problem requires deep thought, involving a lot of variables and data and it is paramount that your mind can process all the necessary data and make sense out of it, quickly. A fresh and well-rested mind helps a lot with it.
(B) The scary Indian traffic? No worries …
For some reason, 90%+ of working adults in India still love the good ol’ 9AM-6PM work commute. Considering the super-long line of traffic, traffic jams, the harassed and angry commuters, the smoke and dust, the dangerous and pot-hole-filled roads Etc., I keep thinking why folks are putting themselves through such torture. My work timings allow me to beat the peak-time traffic and if the roads were in not so bad a condition, my overall commute time would have been even better.
(C) Quiet window of 3-4 hours:
No face-to-face meetings.
No chit-chat, laughter and guffaws among colleagues.
No ringing phones (except for mine :-)).
No opening and closing of doors.
Well, you get the drift. It is mostly peace and quiet. The right environment to tackle tough Engineering problems. Every Individual has work which only he/she can do and must do. Guess which is the best time for such work? 🙂
(D) Overlap with Remote Locations and also with the Local Workforce
In this day and age, rare is a person whose work only depends on interactions with counterparts in the same timezone. A typical worker has to interact with various time zones (Pacific Standard Time, Eastern Standard Time, India Standard Time, Japan Standard Time Etc.) and having a good time overlap with counterparts help a lot.
You still have a good 4-5 hours of overlap with the local workforce. One can schedule all local meetings and one-on-ones during that window.
(E) Relaxed 2nd-Half with Family
Assuming it is a typical day, where you do not have crises which require immediate attention, you are back at home and ready to play with kids, have leisurely walks with family, dinner with Family Etc. All leading to a slow and steady winding down towards the end of the day.
Well, the above is not for everyone, obviously. If your body clock does not allow you to wake up before 11AM (for example), you cannot follow such a regime. But for folks who wake up early naturally, maybe you should try such a regime, if you do not already.
Adios!