Have you ever heard of the photographer’s golden hour? It’s that magical time of day when the light is just right for capturing stunning photos. In my photographic work, I seek it out.
As a small business owner, I’ve realised we all have golden hours too. It’s that time when we’re most productive, and our talents genuinely shine.
The Importance of Finding Your Golden Hour
For me, I have a golden hour in the morning. I love the focus I can bring to my work on the business early in the day. During this time, I find that my mind is at its most creative, and I can generate new ideas, and it’s a good time for me to write. Working with clients is different. I must reflect on their opportunities and challenges and draw on my experiences. My best time for mentoring work is around the middle of the day. The key is to identify your golden hour(s) and to structure your day around it as much as possible.
Structuring Your Day Around Your Golden Hour
Notice when your work is at its best and feels easiest in the flow. That’s likely to be your golden hour for that kind of work. Then we can design our days to match. If your golden hour is early in the morning, try to wake up a little earlier to use that time before the day starts. If your golden hour is later, try to wrap up any likely distractions beforehand to have an uninterrupted work time at the best moment.
By structuring your day around your golden hour, you’ll find that you’re more productive and can accomplish more in less time. It’s part of having a more strategic focus on the design of your business. You’ll also feel more fulfilled in your work because you’re working during a time when you’re at your best.
I block time for creative work in the mornings a couple of days a week, whilst clients prefer the middle of days in the middle of the week. That design matches when I am at my best and provides a means of being strategic about timings whilst retaining flexibility and opportunity for serendipity.
When you are more conscious of your golden hour(s), you’ll be amazed at how much more you can accomplish!
Ah, William. Finally I have a reason to get up earlier that feels positive rather than feeling like spoiling my lie-in! I never start client work before 10am as that suits me well, but the idea of starting early on the creative development of my workshops feels exciting, rather than adding it to the day later on. That genuinely feels like such a fabulous simple shift in thinking – thank you!
Completely agree with this sentiment, William, I’ve also discovered the power of learning the best times for different activities. I’d recommend that those who want to dig deeper on this read “When” by Daniel Pink, a great summary of research on this topic: https://www.customerinsightleader.com/books/when-teams-work/
Thanks Paul, I like Dan Pink’s writing, and that book’s now on my list.