Consider B.J. Novak the anti early-morning warrior. Instead, the entertainment jack-of-all-trades (he’s a comedian, actor, director, and author) spends his a.m. hours just trying to get in a good mood.
In an interview with Tim Ferriss for his latest book Tools of Titans, Novak explained how he structures time to do nothing in the mornings, allowing himself to “power up” and set his mind right for the day. During that time he tends to read newspapers, listen to music, and drink a lot of Starbucks. “I find that being in a good mood for creative work is worth the hours it takes to get in a good mood,” Novak told Ferriss.
Novak doesn’t wake up early, and said that after reading Daily Rituals, he felt “demoralized” by how many successful people get up at the crack of dawn. But as Ferriss wrote in Tools of Titans, “when you get started each day seems to matter less than learning how to get started consistently.” It’s an encouraging sentiment for those of us who might not be super early risers, but can still benefit from the repetition and intention of a routine, even if that routine means allowing yourself time to get in the groove.
Originally published at journal.thriveglobal.com