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Most financial advisors walk around as if they never sleep. The reason is…they don’t…at least not as much as they should. Maybe you’re one of them.
With fast-paced days full of (pre-coronavirus) commutes, work, errands, running the kids to/from extracurricular activities, making meals, paying bills, and on and on, when did you have time to sleep? And during the pandemic, add in teaching your kids, walking the dogs, Zoom calls galore, entertaining everyone, binge watching, and fill in the blank.
With sleep, the key is to make time for it. I mean, literally schedule your bedtime.
I’m no scientist, but according to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, sleep is one of our physiological needs (the most essential of our needs) along with the basic physical needs like breathing, drinking water and eating.
If you are extremely hungry, it’s hard to focus on anything else besides food. The same goes for adequate sleep. When you don’t get enough, it’s hard to focus, period.
My client, Jen, was always tired and overwhelmed. She knew she needed seven to eight hours of sleep but rarely got more than five. Once we made sleep her primary focus in her 24-hour day, she scheduled around her bedtime and wake-up time rather than trying to squeeze it into what little time was left.
This leads to a bunch of questions.
What’s enough?
How many hours of sleep do you need? If you need seven or eight, going on four or five hours is okay for one or two nights, but done repeatedly, your productivity and disposition will be compromised. Sleeping too much can weigh you down as well.
Are you a snoozer?
Do you go to bed too late, then hit the snooze button five times before you get up in the morning? I’ll shower tomorrow – snooze. I won’t eat breakfast – snooze. I can work out on Saturday – snooze.
Are you tired at work?
Do you fall asleep at work (or wish you could)? Do you zone out for long periods of time hoping nobody will notice? (Newsflash…they do notice.)
Are you moody?
Are you always cranky? Ask your family, clients and co-workers and pay attention to how they react when you ask. Their words might say no but their body language screams ”yes”!
The answers to those questions should give insight and trigger you to review your habits. I know that not everybody has the luxury of telling their boss that they can't be at work at 8:00 a.m. just because they are not a morning person. If you do have that flexibility, then don’t go in at 8am. If not, go to bed earlier every night so waking up is not such an event.
By investing in a good night’s sleep, you will accomplish more during the day because you will be sharper and more productive.
Once you get the right amount of sleep, then you can identify and work around your “prime time.” Think about the time of day that you are at your best. Are you a morning person? Afternoon? Evening? Midnight burner? You may even have more than one prime time throughout the day. Take that seriously into consideration as you plan your day and night!
Another client, Sandy, never got to work on financial plans or writing articles when she was crisp, because her client meetings were scheduled at those times. When we identified her prime time, she then blocked it out to avoid client meetings being scheduled and, as a result, her focus and productivity increased and her frustration decreased.
Schedule mundane, repetitive tasks when you are not in your "zone." Your level of concentration isn't as necessary because these tasks can be done without as much thought. This might include managing your email, paying bills or returning phone calls.
Once you know your prime time, learn the prime time of those around you. You’ll work more effectively together by not interrupting each other's prime time. Productivity will increase and you'll have a better understanding of each other’s habits.
Discover your prime time and concentrate on getting the proper amount of sleep for a week. It’s a small investment with a huge ROI of feeling better and being more productive! (And those around you will be glad you did, too!)
Get some sleep and uncork your productivity!
Patty Kreamer, CPO® helps overwhelmed financial advisors take control of their brain clutter, calendar, to-do list, inbox, interruptions and anything blocking productivity. She is a productivity coach, Certified Professional Organizer®, speaker, author of four books and partner at Productivity Uncorked, LLC where she works exclusively with financial advisors. [email protected]
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Advisor Perspectives welcomes guest contributions. The views presented here do not necessarily represent those of Advisor Perspectives.
