Sweet spot, as in preferred time to work, or get things done.

Here it is after midnight (on Wednesday morning, original time of writing), and while the rest of the building I live in is quiet and in darkness, the disassociated studio is still abuzz with activity.

While I enjoy working at this time, it’s not entirely out of choice. And it’s not because I’ve been asleep all day either. I woke up just before 10am this morning. Having been working until 1 or 2am the previous night of course.

The “work day” usually commences at around midday, but for some reason afternoons seem to be terrible times to work, if output is anything to go by.

To little avail I make lists, remove distractions, schedule appointments and non-work tasks outside, or around my work day, so I have a solid five or six hours during the day itself to work.

The plan is then to stop for a couple of hours and resume for an hour or two mid-evening. That sort of arrangement can work here, by the way, since there is no TV here to otherwise intrude on me.

In fact just about all about entertainment takes place off-premises, so it’s not like there’s raves or glamourous dinner parties sidetracking me either. Still there I am, at 1am, burning the midnight oil.

And I don’t buy into the idea that more is accomplished in a structured, nine-to-five environment either. Procrastination, web surfing, personal phone calls, emails, instant messaging, Facebook, and psychopathic colleagues, are all there at the office.

So maybe for me, and other work-from-home night owls, it is the opportunity to indulge in sleep, that proves to be the ultimate impetus to get on and work. Eight or so hours luxuriating in what feels like a state of suspended animation is certainly enticing.

The hours may not be particularly sociable, but the arrangement seems to work. Like it or lump it, here is my sweet spot, in the dead of night. Lucky then I live a city that mostly never sleeps.

Maybe I’ll yet find a way to be more productive during daylight hours, but I’m not holding my breath. As I say though, it works for me, and most of what I need to do does get finished.

Besides, the feeling of fulfillment and achievement I find here, at work day’s end, has eluded me in any other work situation I’ve been in so far.