I started writing this blog on January 6, 2023. I just spent the previous three weeks diligently writing every day (Monday through Friday) for at least 20 minutes during my most productive time. The most productive time of anyone’s day is their green zone. Carey Nieuswhof defines this term in At Your Best as the time of day when you are at your best and your energy is at its peak. Nieuswhof says we each have 3-5 hours daily green zone time. This is the time of day we will get most of our work done and do our best work.

My green zone generally falls between 9a and noon. Sometimes it shifts a little earlier in the morning, and sometimes I get another hour or two of green zone time in the afternoons, but I can rely on that morning green zone time to do my best work. I schedule my most important items of the day in this window. My writing practice falls in this category.

For the three-week break between the fall and spring semesters, I focused on my writing practice, which has paid off. While my goal is 20 minutes of writing during my green zone time, I have easily completed an hour or two of writing each day. The holiday break makes it easier to write for more extended periods. It has been wonderful to dive in during this time and explore the ideas that come to me. I found many benefits to carving out some time during my green zone to write.

First, I am literally writing more. I wrote almost every blog I’ve posted since December 24 in the three weeks over the holidays. A complete linked list of the blogs I created over the break is provided at the end of this post. I have written over 11,000 words for this blog site alone. That doesn’t count the writing I did for professional projects. While I have taken time to rest between semesters, I am working to prepare for spring classes when I am inspired. Creating new assignments or revising old ones as I find the motivation. My professional projects are technical writing. My blog writing is more informal and less academic. My blog writing engages my head and heart rather than just my head.

Second, I have had time to dive into more complex ideas that require more reflection and research. Better yet, I have the mental power to do that deeper work. I worked on Mississippi burning for a solid week before it was ready to post as a blog. I needed to do more and more research into the background of the event and my thought experiment as I wrote. I didn’t want to talk out of my ass on such a serious topic. So, I began creating the trilogy I wrote on my tubal ligation, my experiences as a woman, and my views on tradition back in November. Crafting the story arc that satisfied what I wanted to communicate took time and reflection. The final product took me in a different direction than I initially planned. One of the most interesting aspects of this work is allowing the writing to lead you. Sometimes, you end up in a very different place than you anticipated. I am always better for it when the writing leads me. It always takes me where I need to be rather than where I thought I wanted to go.

Finally, I found more space and grace in my life. Nieuwhof talks about two other areas of time in your day: the yellow and red zones. The yellow zones are the times when you have moderate amounts of energy. You don’t want to perform your most important tasks during this time because you are not your best, but it can still be a productive time for less vital work. The red zone is the time of day when you have nothing left to give. This is when you feel like taking a nap or otherwise vegging out. I have also mapped these areas in my day and made allowances for them as best I can. There are tasks I tend to complete in each of my zones. Because I allow for shifts and my work and productivity during the day, I have more space. I don’t feel pushed to complete tasks I am not equipped for at 3 pm while running on my last brain cell. For me, I have a red zone in the afternoon. I do my best to allow time for rest at that time. I take a nap if I can. Napping usually shortens the duration of my red zone and gives me a larger yellow zone. And even if my red zone lasts all afternoon, I know I have already taken advantage of my best self during my green zone, so I extend myself some grace for the times I don’t have much to contribute. Tomorrow will likely be different.

Understanding my three zones has helped me better design my days during the semester. For the most part, my teaching time falls in my green zones. It should be since my interactions with students are my top priority and the most crucial part of my job. I use my afternoon yellow zones to answer emails, grade papers, record videos for my classes, and work on other projects. When I hit a red zone, I allow myself the grace necessary to navigate it rather than pound a 5-Hour Energy and push forward. I used to push all the time. Now I see pushing as a violent act against myself.

Knowing my zones makes me better for my students and allows me to manage myself more effectively and compassionately. I can plan how and where to put my resources daily since I know when I will be at my best. I can plan how and where to put my resources each day. At the end of each day, I know I gave my best and positively contributed to the world. I have also progressed in my writing practice in a short period.

All because I leveraged my time when I was at my best.