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Big Takeaways from this Episode:

  • Timing is an art and a science. The passage of time and timing of some events in our lives can feel chaotic and out of control. But there are patterns that exist beneath the surface that can be studied and harnessed.
  • There are patterns of timing at different levels – patterns that govern our days, our projects and even our lives.
  • Once these hidden tides of time are called to our attention, we can use our newfound knowledge to consciously use time to our advantage.

I was fortunate to have opportunity to interview Daniel Pink for the Disrupt Yourself podcast shortly before the publication of his awesome new book (released last week!), When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing. You’ll want to listen to the podcast (and read the book), so I’ll limit the spoilers here, but it was fascinating to get the inside scoop on the research that went into the book and the discoveries that came out of it. Who knew that our biological clock and circadian rhythm, internal ticking unheard and pendulum swinging unseen, were so influential in the decisions we make, and the outcomes of initiatives we undertake? Whether hours of the day or stages of life, there are fascinating insights into the way time shapes our lives at our fingertips in When.

In addition, Dan has a disruptor’s interesting history to share—from mid-town, mid-state, mid-country Ohio boy, to linguistics undergrad, to law school to political speech-writing and on to full-fledged author and thought leader; the career trajectory has a logical flow, despite being unplanned. The beauty of discovery-driven disruption!

“I’m not sure I had a plan. I’d always though that I’d go to law school because that’s what you did. My parents encouraged me to do that because it would give you some kind of security.”

His political speech-writing rose as high as Al Gore, Vice President of the United States. I thought that must have felt pretty glamorous and influential. It had its moments, Dan agrees, but “in general, the day-to-day, the ground truth of what it was like to work day-to-day was just like a constant grind. Constant.”

More insights and surprises; tune in and listen to the full episode above or on iTunes, and click here to download the complete transcript of our conversation.

Resources Mentioned in the Show and Transcript

Sponsored by Harvard Business Review and HBR Ideacast

Daniel Pink


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