Good timing can help us be our best

IF YOU DRIVE past the Showgrounds on a weekday morning at 10.30am or 11am you’ll often see the squad out training.

Yet for years as a club and county GAA footballer, weekday training was never any other time than 7.30pm. And there would be plenty of evenings where you were dragging yourself out to training after a long day at work, when all you really wanted to do was lie on the couch. Instead you were asked to be at your physical peak.

And so I wondered, if we were professional athletes, and our day were our own, would we be training in the morning like the soccer lads? Do they train then because that’s the time their bodies are primed to get the best out of themselves physically?

Yet then when it came to matches, Sligo Rovers would usually play in the evening, whereas GAA games were more likely to be late morning or afternoon. What effect does this have?

I’m sure that people more qualified than me have thought about it for longer than me and come up with their own theories and solutions, but there is no doubt that some parts of the day suit certain activities better than others.

Many singers won’t record or do a gig until after lunch at the earliest for example. They tell me it takes that long for their voice to warm up fully, for them to be able to get the best out of it. So the morning is for other things.

Like writing, perhaps. The morning is always when I write this column, often before the rest of the house gets up. Firstly, it’s easier to put the phone away and really focus on something when you know it’s not going to be ringing, but more importantly you’re more likely to be at your creative best when your mind is clear and fresh. The odd week when it comes to Tuesday evening and I haven’t written the column, I know I’m better off waking up early on Wednesday to do it rather than churn it out before bed with a tired mind. September is coming soon, and with it the return of a more regular calendar for not only students but also their parents. It’s a great time to press the restart button, or at least tweak the timing of your routines and daily activities so that you give yourself the best chance of being consistent with them. Common sense and experience can tell you a lot in this regard, or if you want to find out more, I would recommend reading ‘When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing’ by Daniel Pink.

Kieran Quinn plays piano and brings people together in music. You can sign up for his weekly email letter by visiting kieranquinn.ie/letter and he can be contacted by email at kieran@kieranquinn.ie

lAuthor Daniel Pink.