Time of Day

Time of day matters. And 2:30 pm is not the time. Afternoon is just a lull, a dip, and 2:30 is peak afternoon lull.

It is not the right time for anything, except maybe the last caffeine drink—or decaf that you’re half pretending has caffeine—of the day. In fact, that is exactly what it is the time for: a coffee! A cappuccino! You can do hot or iced. You can add a flavor or a sprinkle, or not. Your choice.

2:30 is not the time to take on a creative or complex project. It is not even the time to try to have a thoughtful conversation. A plan, an idea, a question with the power to inspire as late as 1 pm will have had its potential and significance mysteriously drained away by 2:30. There is no away around it, so you might as well lean in. If you can’t schedule a nap at 2:30, try to schedule your most pointless meeting for 2:30. Or use that time to do a simple, repetitive task like laundry or responding to surveys.

Set yourself up for success by matching up low energy times of day with tasks that require minimal output. 2:30 is where time management and energy management meet.