Don't mess with Mother Nature.

You’re full of energy and hip-hip-hooray in the morning. But, come afternoon, you’re as sluggish as a sloth on painkillers. Why, then, do you waste the morning gabbing about yesterday’s news and today’s lunch plans? The rest of your day you just sit and stare at your computer screen. Hel-LO.

Most people work best at certain times of the day. Tune in to your daily rhythms and notice when you have the most energy or tend to be most efficient. First thing in the morning? In the afternoon? Whenever the kids aren’t home? (Er, can that affect biorhythms?) Plan to tackle the important, most mentally challenging tasks during those times. Not only will you do a better job, but you’ll also get them done faster.

Not that you’ll sit around and do nothing the rest of the day. No siree. You can still be productive during low-brainpower hours, but you’ll probably want to use those for more menial or mundane tasks—for example, moving the wood pile or de-linting your dog’s sweater.