Most of the important aspects of my work work requires focus and creativity. One thing I'm realizing, then, is just how destructive it is When focus is thrown off first thing to start the day.
Here was the plan for Day 24 --
Sleeping at 8:50AM.
Setting alarm for 2PM -- 5 hours.
Have to be at Loft at 7PM.
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2 - 3: Getting ready for day.3 - 6: Post to blog, weekly review.
7 - 8: Move person in.
8PM on: Go through top opportunities, create actions for all the monetary ones.
9PM: Triage email quickly. Cut number of messages in half.
11PM: Take rest of day off.
Here's what happened --
Awake: 4:55PM (8 hours)
6:30PM: Configuring apps, finances, budgeting, cleaned the Loft quickly in preparation. (95 productive)
8:30PM: Woman was late coming, two hours burnt. (120 distraction)
12:40PM: Quick writing, phonecalls, distraction. (40 semi-productive, 30 general-life, 180 distraction)
4:10AM: Was heading to a cafe, but it was closed. So was the second cafe I went too. Wound up walking a few miles. At the office now.
So basically, I felt like hell, so I slept longer than I intended (I was going to sleep five hours, but was wrecked at that time, so slept again). That might have been okay, but then a woman I was meeting for real estate came two hours later. The whole time I was sitting there not really doing anything important, because I thought I'd have to switch modes any minute -- instead of just spending the two hours well.
This carried on at the next place I went to, so I went to change locations -- but then the two cafes I was going were closed. At this point, I said screwed it and walked maybe a dozen miles, just thinking, mostly without audio. I was spending the time thinking of how to get things running correctly.
First off, the sleep schedule was hosed. I decided to stay up all that night and not sleep, and sleep early on Sunday (Day 25), to normalize my sleep.
I didn't track Day 25, I was in semi-zombie mode from no sleep, but it was a useful enough day. I spent 4-5 hours on the phone connecting with a lot of people I meant to be talk to, and did some light work. I slept around 5PM, intending to wake with my sleep normalized the next day, and my focus ready to go without being thrown into distractions.