Today’s post in the rhythmed life series is a rather simple one. 

It’s about noticing your energy peaks and valleys. 

Are there certain times of day you like to do things? Do you notice an energy lull cropping up pretty regularly at a particular point in your day — or when connected to certain activities? 

If you’ve used the Time Catcher from the second week of the series, this might be a great time to pull it out and take a look at it for patterns. Did you get distracted by the internet around 10 a.m. each day? Do you usually need time and space to decompress when you get home from work? Do you find your mind most active between the hours of midnight and 3 a.m.? 

I’ve noticed a couple things about myself with regard to energy patterns, and I’ll share them here with you to spur your own thoughts on the subject.

First, mornings. 

I’m not a morning person. While I like the idea of waking in the cool, grey hours of morning and being present to the world as it starts to wake up, I’ve not ever been someone who actually does that. I like the idea in theory, but I am continually repelled by it in practice. In fact, every time I’ve tried to start a morning routine that includes waking at 5 or 6 or even 7 a.m., I never last more than a couple days doing it. (And sometimes I’m not even faithful from day 1!)

Next, wee midnight hours.

Recently, I’ve noticed that the wee, dark hours of the night between midnight and 3 a.m. are my most productive creative time. It’s where I brainstormed the Cup of Sunday Quiet and designed its cozy template. It’s where I get a lot of editorial freelance work done. And it’s where I’ve been continuing to work on the revamped version of the Look at Jesus course (currently in redevelopment to become more personalized and rich with content than its original version). 

My brain goes into hyper-creative mode in those dark, wee hours of the night. And as much as I’m apalled by that reality (it can really throw my daily schedule out of whack!), I’m also loving it. A lot of good things happen during that time — things I’m proud of. 

What do you notice about your own energy patterns?