The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing with Daniel Pink

Daniel Pink, journalist and bestselling author, wanted to find “better, smarter ways to do things.” This is why he turned to the subject of perfect timing for his most recent book. When researching the topic, Pink was struck by the fact that universities were siloed. Lots of people in different fields were looking, but no-one was talking.

Measuring time in the way that we currently do, by dividing it into units is actually not natural. For instance an hour in the morning may feel longer or shorter than an hour in the afternoon. The length of one day is something we cannot do anything about. Even so, we want to understand what times are better for certain activities.

Researchers ask things like, “when is the best time to exercise?, “what kind of breaks to take?”, and “when to start new projects?” The question of timing is also a part of how teams function. How do you determine when a team is at the half-way point of their work? Different fields offered answers to these questions, but researchers barely spoke across their disciplinary lines. Pink’s keen eye found a number of connections that shows how profound and important timing really is when working.

Throughout Pink’s journey through many disciplines, he began to notice certain patterns in the way that people think. The “hidden pattern of the day profoundly affects our mood and performance,” Pink argued, and this is a really important concept to think about when planning individual and team schedules. To find out more about what are the best times for working, organizing meetings, and doing administrative tasks, check out our Executive Summary!

Read the Executive Summary