Tip: Mornings are better than afternoons!
I know this Tip may cause some of you to disagree with me and that’s okay, you have been wrong before! While I am joking about that, I have discovered something that I wish I had known a long time ago. When it comes to doing business with other people, mornings are better than afternoons. I have noticed that people are more alert in the morning because they have not yet had their day filled with negative encounters. Most people begin to get worn down after several hours of things going wrong in their day.
I have seen people make unwise decisions or say things they later regretted because they were tired. Usually this is not the case in the morning. Some people wake up more slowly than others, but by the time they get to work or start their daily routine, they usually have a little extra lift in their step. By late afternoon, however, this extra “step” is gone. People just want to go home and to be finished with all the aggravation they faced throughout the day.
Each day I have a long list of things I need to get accomplished, so I jot them down on my daily “To Do” sheet. Although I would prefer to sit at my desk in a nice, quiet environment for several hours early in the morning, I have found that is not really the best way for me to have a successful day. When I take care of most, if not all of my business first thing in the morning, I have discovered that I do not have to deal with a bunch of negative, critical, tired people later in the day. My banker is happier, my lawyer is more alert, my accountant is in a better mood, and the sales people I meet in general seem to be nicer at almost every location I enter. It is much easier dealing with happy, upbeat, positive people than it is with beaten down, unhappy, miserable people.
I wish we lived in a world where everyone could experience perfect, enjoyable interaction with everyone they meet all day long. Unfortunately, that is not reality, nor is it what I have experienced. But, the best way for me to have more pleasant interactions with others is to get up early and to get started on a positive note. If I am the first one in line, whether it be at the bank, the grocery store, the department store, or any other store, I usually am greeted with a smile and a, “Good morning.” If I am the last customer of the day I am often greeted with an attitude along the lines of, “Oh, brother! Will customers ever quit coming into the store?”
On a few occasions I have also had the opportunity to observe court proceedings. Let me encourage you to get a morning court date if you ever are involved in any kind of legal dispute! By the afternoon, the judge is completely out of patience with everyone. In the morning, he or she has a different demeanor. I hope you never have to be in that situation, but if you are, go for the morning. You will be glad that you did.
This Tip is not meant to be negative and I do not think that afternoons are bad. I have just come to see that the old saying really is true, “The early bird gets the worm!”
I also realize we live in a world where you can get things done almost twenty-four hours a day. Online banking, online bill paying, all night grocery stores, bank teller machines, and post office drop boxes all make opportunity available around the clock for us to take care of business. However, most of the world still operates from 9 to 5, and, if you are going to get into that world, I would encourage you to go for the mornings as far as interacting with the public goes. There is nothing like a good morning to get a day started off right!
Tip: Mornings are better than afternoons!
Have a great week! God bless you!
Dr. Robert A. Rohm
