September Question of the Month - Join the conversation and receive a badge

khickman

My best ideas come when I'm on a walk or doing another activity. I find myself most productive late afternoon/early evening. Mornings are usually reserved for tasks and email.

Hollie Green

Morning is definitely my most productive and creative time of the day. Before all the meetings start bombarding me with more information and more tasks to do. If I'm really trying to work through a problem and struggling I find it best to walk away for 5 minutes get outside and have some fresh air and then come back to it with new eyes. It usually comes to me within minutes of sitting back down. So technically my desk is where I come up with the best ideas but it doesn't work if I don't have the outside time first.

Monicacraven

I need silence. No tiny buzzing noises, neighbors mowing their lawn, fingers typing… just fingers in your ears silence.

Matt Johnson

Mowing the yard helps me think through workflows and presentation strategies. For actual work, its not so much the time of day, but the content and the people involved…the more fun and interesting, the better my brain works.

henriqueOz

My mind works better when I have freedom to do my tasks without interruption. I don't necessarily need to be working from home, but just being chill is enough. Some good music and a clear description of the tasks do help!

marvinjreger

I find my mind works best in the early morning, right as the sun is rising. There's something about the quiet and fresh start of the day that really fuels my creativity. I love working by the window with a cup of coffee, letting the natural light and calm atmosphere help me focus and generate new ideas. It's my favorite time to tackle complex tasks and think deeply! 😊

DVargas

For me, its a few scenarios:

1. Mornings always are so peaceful and before all the craziness of the day hits, which helps my mind. Working from home, I get to really hone in on that by cutting out the rush of getting ready and commuting.
2. For some reason, when I am cooking (much like those of you who said in the shower - not sure why!).
3. When I can put on my headphones and listen to music (meaning, less than normal amount of meetings). I am the type of person who doesn't get distracted by music with words, maybe it just gets the energy up and my creative juices flowing!

Zachary Ziegler

I'm surprised I don't see a lot more of this answer, but a lot of my best thinking isn't at work. It's on the weekend after a cup of coffee when I'm taking my morning shower, the best ideas just randomly pop into my head. I guess its a combination of the heat and increased bloodflow or something along with the lack of distractions available in a shower, but for some reason I just suddenly turn into a genius 🤷‍♂️

Deena Duran

I work from home, and I do think that my best work is done at home with little distractions. I focus best when I close Outlook and only have the necessary windows open, a full cup of coffee, kids at school, and phone on silent. This is my favorite time to jump into designing a dashboard and getting creative. It is difficult for me to be creative with distractions!

Sherry Fox

Well, believe it or not, I have often gone to sleep with a challenge, and woken up with the answer. My husband says I talk in my sleep…. about Excel, Smartsheet and Power BI. So I would ssay THAT counts for unique. Aside from that, if I am stuck, I walk downstairs to get some coffee, and on the journey, the answer comes to me. Now granted there is petting of 2 cats involved, and that will solve ANY problem!

Janelle

My Mind works better when I have a deadline coming up. Sometimes, this causes issues because I have more than one deadline coming at me. I close my office door and crack down on what needs to be done. Other than the deadline coming up, my mornings is a good time to concentrate. By the afternoon, I have a lot of distractions coming at me and I don't get much done.

Rebeca S.

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/comment/453540#Comment_453540

That's unique, AND awesome, Sherry! And you're so right, pets can help solve any problem. 🐱💙

Humashankar

I'm most productive when surrounded by quiet and calmness, which enables me to relax and think with clarity. Additionally, taking a 5–10-minute power nap after lunch boosts my energy, allowing me to tackle the remaining 5-6 hours of work with renewed focus and enthusiasm

Ric T

After a hot cup of coffee in the morning

jacob.alabi

For some reason I don't seem to understand, I mind that my mind is way clearer at night, when driving. I should be focused on the road but I feel some form of serenity at those time. When I have a tough, mostly problematic task ahead of me, taking a drive seems to give him some clarity on how to tackle the issue/task.