I do have a 10 a.m. phone interview tomorrow for an incredible marketing position. I'm nervous, partly because I should be in bed now and I haven't been in bed at this hour for months. I'm not sure if I'll be able to sleep. I don't want to be sleep deprived for the interview, since tomorrow is a very busy day. But, I do think everything will work out. If I do get this position, I would be able to embrace my night owl schedule and lifestyle because this is a work-from-home position (one of the many perks of the job).
What the Night Owl Lifestyle Actually Entails
It really just involves starting and ending the day at different times, although being this different makes it hard to do some of the normal things in life, like review coffee shops and get to the bank. But, it also means that when you do work, you can ensure that you are working at your best. You are working during the hours that are comfortable for you, and you are also working during quiet hours, when you don't have to compete with many other distractions. The night owl lifestyle is constrained by society in that many things aren't open at 10 p.m., but it also means that you forced into a a.m. to 5 p.m. schedule, or any other work schedule that you didn't choose or design yourself. Few people have such a luxury, but if you're able to do that (and be disciplined enough to work without a boss or a set infrastructure), then it's likely you can be more productive that before.
A Client Actually Approves
I had a client notice my night owl schedule last week, which was a relief because I always wondered if they noticed the messages coming in at odd hours of the day. Now, I know at least one client has noticed and has said that he is willing to keep it in mind in the future for scheduling. So far, this client hasn't been disappointed with my work, even though I'm completing it in the wee hours of the morning. That's what should count anyway: that the work was done well. The time it's completed shouldn't matter, unless the deadline has passed. Having this happen is also great because it's nice knowing that one client doesn't see this as a big deal or as something that has to get in the way of getting good work done.
Night Owls Can Be Successful Too
The early bird gets the work, but the second mouse gets the cheese.
It seems like the attitude is that only early birds can be successful, or will be more successful, than night owls. It's kind of like the bias toward introverts, where society and workplace favors characteristics that are more associated with extroverts than introverts, even though introverts aren't necessarily worse at their jobs or unable to contribute or anything like that. But, night owls can be successful too, with their own set of tips and tricks to work during the late hours. Although it seems like the night owls in this article just don't sleep very much at all. The point of being a night owl isn't to sleep only five hours a night (even though there are a few people in the world who are that way), the point is that we sleep during different times of the day. That can't be all bad, can it?