There is something magical about early mornings. I nowadays rarely wake up early. But on the days that I do, I feel like my mind has expanded, like my brain power has increased. I get a lot of ideas and creative thoughts, and my mind keeps buzzing with new things. It gets to a point where I find it hard to note everything down, because the speed at which my mind moves feels too fast. If I do not grasp something or write it down, it is likely to be lost.

In contrast, my late nights are when my mind becomes sharp. It becomes laser focused. I get my best focus hours when I am working late at night. The silence of the night, the hope of another day, the fresh feeling after my night shower, everything contributes.

Now comes the dilemma. Often I hear people talk about being a morning person or a night person, and people seem to belong to either one or the other. But for me, I find myself in both groups, just in different modes of operation. I love early mornings for how creative I get, and I love late nights for how focused I get.

If you truly ask me what I enjoy the most, I would say waking up early is what I enjoy. But then I would have to sacrifice the focus that I get at night. It comes down to a trade-off, and often this is hard to make. Staying up late one night to focus means you mess up your sleep cycle for the next few days, at the very least. Similarly, on the opposite end, trying to shift from a night owl to an early bird means feeling tired and groggy for one or two days. It is a hard trade-off because of the cost and how it affects you.

I wish I could function just one way or the other. I wish I were a night owl or an early bird. I am both, and that is confusing. If someone else faces this, reach out. I would love to figure this out. Or if someone knows the answer, let me know.