And Just Like That, I'm No Longer a Night Owl

I woke up at 7 a.m. this morning, 4:30 a.m. yesterday (I had a 7:30 a.m. meeting, in my defense), and 10 a.m. the day before. I don't see myself going to bed very late tonight, so it's looks like my whole night owl phase is over. This is actually good, as I am going to Las Vegas this weekend to visit family, and I don't think my parents would appreciate it they never saw me because I was sleeping whenever they were awake. This schedule is also good because I do feel more productive and I am getting more done. This whole thing started because I had a job interview a week ago at 10 a.m., and even though I didn't get the job, I've been nervous and energized ever since then and haven't really done back to the night owl schedule. Also, this past weekend was pretty hectic since I had guests over, and you don't really want to sleep until 2 p.m. when you have guests over. You need to be awake and welcoming when you have guests.

I Didn't Get the Job :(

It was a great job, and it sucks I didn't get it, but I do think it was a blessing in disguise. I interviewed for a director of marketing position with a content marketing company, and it's a position I really shouldn't be qualified for at 25. But, I was considered qualified for the position, and even though I didn't get it, the interviewer did say that I would have done a great job in the role if I had been chosen. It's still a confidence boost and a huge testament to my skills and what I'm capable of. It's hard to get this kind of feedback when I'm self-employed, and although I'm not actively looking for a full-time position, I will consider another one if the right opportunity comes along.

However, everything will be fine. I've picked up quite a bit of new work lately, so it would have sucked to turn around and tell those people I can't do their work anymore because of the new job. Still would have liked to be director of marketing, but it's not as if I don't have anything going for me now or anything to go back to. I can keep doing what I've been doing, and I can do it knowing that I'm really good at what I do and am capable of directing the marketing of a major marketing brand.

I'm Working On My Poker Before I Go

I haven't played too much poker over the past several days because I've been focusing on my work and getting as much done as possible. It's tough to get work done when you're out of town, especially in Las Vegas. Not only are there a ton of distractions, but getting Internet in your hotel room is expensive. But, I am trying to get some poker time in before I go, as I don't want to go to the table and have the last time I played be over a week ago. One thing I am working on is getting comfortable quickly when I am outside of my comfort zone. Part of the reason why it was so tough to play live back in March was that I as out of my comfort zone and second guessing myself sometimes. I know I am a better player than I was in March, so I think I will do better this time around. I won't let any of the regulars scare me this time!

Embracing Being a Night Owl

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?

This is Why It's Awesome to be a Night Owl!

I have been so excited for my new niche this weekend! I've been wanting to get started so badly that I kept going to the site looking for the new questions, but new questions are released every Monday. I didn't want to prepare a question for last week for this week. I want to keep this week for this week and next week for next week etc. So, I sighed and distracted myself with other things (like Rogue Legacy). Only then did it occur to me that the questions came out a midnight! This means I can start planning now if I want to, and I really do, and maybe even get my first question out on Tuesday. I've only looked at the international questions, and there's already a few that I'm interested in. This is why it's awesome to be a night owl! You get the first crack at things! You could think of it as the earliest bird getting the worm!

What Do I Want to Tackle This Week?

Of the 20 possible questions, I can only settle on three for four. I don't have the time, or the interest, to do all 20. To get me a little head start, I've narrowed down the 20 to these possible 10 questions. I don't want to give away too much, after all. There still needs to be some element of surprise!

1. Does Mahmoud Ahmadinejad leave office with a positive legacy?
2. Why is South Africa supporting Robert Mugabe?
3. Is an Egyptian government led by its military better for the West than a government led by the Muslim Brotherhood?
4. Is nuclear power the key to China’s economic future?
5. Are Afghanistan’s security forces strong enough to contain the Taliban?
6. Would a government shutdown over funding Obamacare hurt the GOP in the 2014 midterms?
7. How should the U.S. respond to Russia’s sheltering of Edward Snowden?
8. Should the national horse slaughter ban of 2006 be repealed?
9. What changes should be made to America’s food stamp program?
10. How can President Obama get his economic agenda through Congress?

I Might Even Be More Excited Tomorrow

It is getting late, so I'll probably be heading to bed in an hour or so (maybe, that's a very big maybe).  I don't know, I did find last week's questions much more interesting than this week's questions. However, I do think once I get some rest, have a productive Monday, and get started on my very first question, I'll be much more excited. I'll be taking the time to learn about current events of the day, to sort through the partisan spin and come down on the arguments and truths that answer the question. These are the questions that ought to be answered on cable news shows and in commentary, something beyond a simple reporting of the facts and providing that liberal/conservative perspective that the audience is seeking. It's questions like these that really get the discussion going and really determine what the next steps should be for these different issues.

I'm Going to Have to Reorganize My Categories

I just realized that nearly all of the categories I have now won't be applicable to this new niche, meaning that I'll have to redo all of them. Or, I'll at least have to create a whole bunch of new ones and fiddle around with the widget so that only the categories related to current affairs show up on the home page and such. I'm pretty sure it's possible to delete categories. I know you can simply change the names. I'm not sure if you can pick and choose the categories that you want to feature in the widget. Perhaps I'll find all this out in the coming weeks as I write these new posts and create these new categories.

Today is Going to Be the Day

It's getting really close to midnight, so "today" could actually be up for debate here. But, today is going to be the day that I make a few changes for the better, that I do what needs to be done to build myself a successful business and to be recognized as an expert in my chosen fields. I need to get myself going and to make some progress.

I'm Going Back to the Office

It's been weeks since I was at Lab1500. I've been there once in the past month, and that was to do my VIP day. Other than that, I've been staying home and working. The biggest reason for this is that my sleep schedule is all screwed up. I've been going to bed at 1 a.m. for at least a week, which makes it hard to get up at a reasonable hour the next morning. Getting up late means that it's tough to get down to the office because they close at six, and I don't want to go down there for just two or three hours. Lab1500 did just announce that they were going to do 24/7 service, but I do think I need to get my sleep schedule fixed. It does mean spending one or two days completely tired, but I just need to bite the bullet and get it done. I also feel really guilty about being a night owl, sleeping when everyone else is working. Then again, I am working when everyone else is sleeping. I don't quite know what to do. I'll ask my business coach.

Working on My New Business Ventures

I haven't made much progress on my upcoming coffee blog either. I created a contact page today, and did research on how to write a review policy, but that's it. I will get the first coffees that I'm going to review, and find a good shop to review as well. However, I am starting to think that I might have to do a few reviews first, and then develop a policy. You know, figure out the system first and then put it into writing. Haven't had the funds to get everything started on the right first. I do need to buy the domain name, and figure out the hosting stuff. I also need to catch up on all the great stuff Sean Ogle has sent me.

Speaking of which, I do need to start migrating my pages off my site from HubSpot. I need to cancel my account because I can't afford it, but I don't want to lose the work that I've done so far. I'll put that on my task list for the weekend. I think I'll move them all either to my Stirring Standard blog or to my current Stirring Media site, which does need revamping also since I will be changing the direction of my business. I think I need to make another giant To-Do list.

This is What I Need to Do...

And today is going to be the day to do it. I've been slouching around a little too long, and perhaps I needed a bit of a break or impromptu vacation, but it's gotta end sometime cause I can't be this way forever. I don't think I'm going to get that successful business or accomplish any of my goals with this kind of schedule and this kind of pace. I'm getting things done, but I'm not getting enough done. Just doing what needs to be done and I'm going to end up running in place again. I don't think I got far with my previous business because I spent too much time doing what needed to be done today, instead of doing things that moved the business forward and put it in a position to grow.