According to a study from the University of Education in Heidelberg, Germany (via a nice article in Inc. magazine), morning people are more proactive, and therefore better equipped to run a small business.
As a nighthawk, I can’t say I love their conclusions, though I take some consolation in the author’s assertion that nighthawks are “smarter and more creative, and have a better sense of humor.”
I’ve always loved getting stuff done at night. But the truth is that at night I’m usually cleaning up messes and getting on top of a backlog. That’s a good thing, in its way. But the early risers appear to be the sort to initiate actions, rather than just respond to situations.
Where do you stand in the continuum? Are you morning or night? Are you starting actions and charting new courses, or do you spend your energy steering the ship to keep on track? I wonder if, in order for a morning person to be proactive, he or she needs a nighthawk to take care of the housekeeping details.
(This entry originally appeared in an earlier version of the Wave Accounting blog for small business.)
One Comment
These days I am both. I used to be a night owl but am starting to do things in the am more. I haven’t noticed if I’m more or less productive in the am or pm but I seem less tired in the morning!