Going by this definition, I was your classic owl. Before work-life began, getting up in the morning meant an unproductive and dreary day. Over time though, I’ve begun to wonder if my ‘owl’ tendencies were a result of my expression of rebellion in my teenage years. My grandparents didn’t at all appreciate the fact that I was up studying at inhuman hours (in their definition atleast). Over time, of course, they came to accept it. And, in hindsight, I think I loved doing something they disapproved with good enough results. (My way is better, etc..)
I used to like working into the night primarily because it was productive. No interruptions or disturbances at the inhuman hours. Interestingly, by that argument, waking up early works just as well.
One year into work life, I seem very happy being a ‘lark’. My ideal day starts at 6am, followed by my ‘hour of power’ and then the work day. I’ve noticed over time that my days just flow better when I wake up early vs staying up late. And now, the challenge is to find the discipline to get my regular quota of sleep and wake up early enough.
So, again, by the definition, I must now be a ‘hummingbird’.
Let’s consider the situation for a moment here. As a university student, being an ‘owl’ is natural order. Going to sleep before 2AM was rare. That changes when you start working of course.
Of late, I’m realizing that what looks like a people problem is often a situation problem. In this case, while it’s not a ‘problem’ in the traditional sense of the world, I’m beginning to wonder if the behavior is just a manifestation of the situation.
I have more questions than answers on this one. I began wondering about this when I thought of university – if you go by the ‘owl’ and ‘lark’ view of the world, it would seem that >90% of university students are ‘owls’. Now, that can’t be true, can it?
So, when are you most productive? And does this ‘owl’ and ‘lark’ view of the world make sense to you? Looking forward to your comments..
A Learning a Day 