On the street

What time of day are you most productive?

Everyone does their best work at different times, as I discovered when I hit up the coffee shops and cafes of downtown Cedar Rapids, asking people their most productive time of day.

Personally, I have always been a night owl. I have been since when, as a child, I stayed up after lights-out, reading by flashlight under my covers.

College only increased my late night tendencies. I avoided classes before 10 a.m. as much as possible and stayed up late. I often got my best work done cramming sessions in the pre-dawn hours. With the rest of the world slumbering, I could focus without distraction.

Now, however, I have graduated and joined the working world, and I am trying to kick the habit of staying up past midnight. It hasn't been easy. My two roommates are both college seniors, as are many of my friends. When my roommates are drinking coffee and chatting in our living room over their textbooks, I am heading off to bed. Often, my still-in-school friends will invite me out for a weeknight drink or to a late-night movie session. Do I say no, and wake well-rested the next morning, or do I sacrifice a little bit of sleep for time with my friends, whom I know will move on to a dozen cities after they graduate in a few months? Many have already left, and I miss them. I don't want to miss out on time with those who are still around. Plus, staying up late seems to come naturally to me.

Will this change as I leave the world of college behind? Will necessity force my internal clock to rework itself? I guess only time will tell. For now, though, I still feel most productive at night.

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