For many great leaders throughout history, the practice of sleep shortening appears to have been beneficial. Was it by choice or was it by obligation? I’m not sure of the answer, but I know what forced progress does to my final products.

I have learned throughout my life that my best times of productivity are in the mornings. I absolutely love mornings. Mornings are when I’m most energized and aware. Yes, I’m that annoying guy who jumps out of bed with the music blasting, headed to the gym before sunrise, etc.

When working a day job, I always try to be as productive as possible in my personal life before starting that day job. Many times, I’ve continued my personal work after the day job only to wake the next day realizing the errors I’ve made the previous night.

It was once said that “it’s ok to stumble forward as long as you’re moving forward.” Is it ok to continue to stumble forward while scaring away your potential clients with your poorly produced product or service? I think the insanity has to eventually cease to save face and your ass.

Needless to say, I’ve come to grips with the fact of not being my creative best in the evenings. The work until you drop mentality does not work well for me; it usually crafts mistakes.

As they say, “everything isn’t for everybody.” Do what works best for you. Do not do what the masses do if it feels incredibly uncomfortable to you, which, in turn, produces a product you are embarrassed to share with the world.