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close up of clock, calendar and pencil on the table, planning for business meeting or travel planning concept
close up of clock, calendar and pencil on the table, planning for business meeting or travel planning concept
So much of success in life is just being in the right place at the right time. But sometimes you have to put yourself in that right place at that right time to really see a payoff. As author Daniel Pink explains in his book When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing, there are optimal times to engage in certain tasks during the day. For example, the best time to schedule a surgery for is morning. (Studies have shown a rise in errors during the afternoon hours.) Or, drink that first cup of coffee 90 minutes after you get out of bed. (You get a short burst of a cortisol in the morning that actually wakes you up first thing.) It’s even best to take a short break from the task at hand to watch a funny video at around 1 p.m.—on average, that’s when mood is at its lowest.