I want you to Become an Off-Peak person!

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I got yelled at during my CrossFit class today.

We were resting between sets two and three of our hang power cleans, when I asked the guy next to me what he did for a living. Specifically, I asked him what he did for a living that allowed him to be sweating next to me at 10:24am on a Monday. Like me, he was an entrepreneur, and we immediately lost track of time as we compared notes, until the class instructor came over and suggested more lifting, less yapping.

See, here’s the thing. There were nine people in the class this morning. When I take the 5pm, there are 22, a full class. But 10am? 9 people. Personalized attention from the instructor! (Probably not a good thing, but still…)

That’s one example of many I could give you on any day. There’s rarely traffic at 2pm. The 24-hour Whole Foods is usually empty at 1am, and what normally takes two hours on Sunday takes 15 minutes.

Plus, you meet the coolest people in the “off hours,” as well as save yourself some money! Did you know that CrossFit costs less between 10am and 4pm than it does outside those times? Why? Because they’re off-peak! They’re not the most packed times!

So… I know I’ve asked you this already, but if you’re not organizing your life in such a way so that you can live “off-peak,” why not?

I know not everyone works for themselves. I get that. But… What if your boss let you take a 2pm workout because she trusted that you’d still get your work done? Or what if you were able to come in later and leave later, or come in earlier and leave earlier?

The rules continue to change, my friends. Technology, social, heck, the simple act of a more trust-based economy, has changed the very fabric that our parents grew up on, and passed down to us. The 9-5 is 95% dead. And in the 5% of cases where it’s still alive, it can be varied. Can you vary it? Can you make yourself more productive by doing something different, simply because it works better for you, as opposed to doing something that doesn’t work because “that’s the way we’ve always done it?” If you can’t, ask yourself why not. As a skydiving friend of mine loves to say, “if you can’t change the people around you, change the people around you.” (Tweet that!) 

The time to change is now. And who knows – A 10am workout might even get you a PR on a hang power clean.

Join the discussion 36 Comments

  • George M says:

    One of the best companies I worked for, a big bank, had this policy in the credit card department: the systems turn on at 6:00AM and shut down at midnight. Just show up, we’ll know if you’ve been working.

  • George M says:

    One of the best companies I worked for, a big bank, had this policy in the credit card department: the systems turn on at 6:00AM and shut down at midnight. Just show up, we’ll know if you’ve been working.

  • George M says:

    One of the best companies I worked for, a big bank, had this policy in the credit card department: the systems turn on at 6:00AM and shut down at midnight. Just show up, we’ll know if you’ve been working.

  • George M says:

    One of the best companies I worked for, a big bank, had this policy in the credit card department: the systems turn on at 6:00AM and shut down at midnight. Just show up, we’ll know if you’ve been working.

  • I have been an off-peak person so long that I have seriously forgotten how crowded and annoying the world is. Living off-peak is the best!

  • I have been an off-peak person so long that I have seriously forgotten how crowded and annoying the world is. Living off-peak is the best!

  • I have been an off-peak person so long that I have seriously forgotten how crowded and annoying the world is. Living off-peak is the best!

  • L says:

    I’m not an entrepreneur but I sure wish employers shared your view on working ‘off-peak’ hours. Had to turn down a job from a well-known tech giant here because it didn’t work with my kids’ schedule.

  • L says:

    I’m not an entrepreneur but I sure wish employers shared your view on working ‘off-peak’ hours. Had to turn down a job from a well-known tech giant here because it didn’t work with my kids’ schedule.

  • L says:

    I’m not an entrepreneur but I sure wish employers shared your view on working ‘off-peak’ hours. Had to turn down a job from a well-known tech giant here because it didn’t work with my kids’ schedule.

  • L says:

    I’m not an entrepreneur but I sure wish employers shared your view on working ‘off-peak’ hours. Had to turn down a job from a well-known tech giant here because it didn’t work with my kids’ schedule.

  • Rory Seiter says:

    Half the reason I am getting into nursing.

  • Jim Moritz says:

    Hi,

    There is a lot of good tips and tricks on your blog. Great blog post!

  • heatherwhaling says:

    I always encourage the people who work for me to design their day, working when/where they’re most productive instead of feeling chained to their desk all day. Works wonders, and let’s them create an “off peak” schedule if they so choose. Good advice, Peter!

  • heatherwhaling says:

    I always encourage the people who work for me to design their day, working when/where they’re most productive instead of feeling chained to their desk all day. Works wonders, and let’s them create an “off peak” schedule if they so choose. Good advice, Peter!

  • heatherwhaling says:

    I always encourage the people who work for me to design their day, working when/where they’re most productive instead of feeling chained to their desk all day. Works wonders, and let’s them create an “off peak” schedule if they so choose. Good advice, Peter!

  • heatherwhaling says:

    I always encourage the people who work for me to design their day, working when/where they’re most productive instead of feeling chained to their desk all day. Works wonders, and let’s them create an “off peak” schedule if they so choose. Good advice, Peter!

  • Brenda Spandrio says:

    We just “off-peaked” to Disneyland for my birthday (which is on a Monday this year). Room rates are cheaper, lines smaller and lots of personal attention. I’m fortunate to be married to a guy who works hard from home at his own business so that we can more or less do as we please.

  • Brenda Spandrio says:

    We just “off-peaked” to Disneyland for my birthday (which is on a Monday this year). Room rates are cheaper, lines smaller and lots of personal attention. I’m fortunate to be married to a guy who works hard from home at his own business so that we can more or less do as we please.

  • Brenda Spandrio says:

    We just “off-peaked” to Disneyland for my birthday (which is on a Monday this year). Room rates are cheaper, lines smaller and lots of personal attention. I’m fortunate to be married to a guy who works hard from home at his own business so that we can more or less do as we please.

  • Brenda Spandrio says:

    We just “off-peaked” to Disneyland for my birthday (which is on a Monday this year). Room rates are cheaper, lines smaller and lots of personal attention. I’m fortunate to be married to a guy who works hard from home at his own business so that we can more or less do as we please.

  • Lorree says:

    I love working my shedule off peak as much as I can! It makes sense and saves lots of time..

  • Lorree says:

    I love working my shedule off peak as much as I can! It makes sense and saves lots of time..

  • Lorree says:

    I love working my shedule off peak as much as I can! It makes sense and saves lots of time..

  • Lisa Jo Barr says:

    Don’t let too many people in on this, Peter! I don’t want things to reverse. I’m happy with my Thur/Fri off from my day job. It’s like you’re taking vacation when everyone else is working.

  • Lisa Jo Barr says:

    Don’t let too many people in on this, Peter! I don’t want things to reverse. I’m happy with my Thur/Fri off from my day job. It’s like you’re taking vacation when everyone else is working.

  • If many bosses let their employees to take a 2pm break for a workout, then that wouldn’t be off peak anymore…:)
    But on a serious note, I couldn’t agree more with you. I work for myself and I do take a 10am wellness class on Mondays and guess who are my classmates? Ladies over 70!

  • If many bosses let their employees to take a 2pm break for a workout, then that wouldn’t be off peak anymore…:)
    But on a serious note, I couldn’t agree more with you. I work for myself and I do take a 10am wellness class on Mondays and guess who are my classmates? Ladies over 70!

  • If many bosses let their employees to take a 2pm break for a workout, then that wouldn’t be off peak anymore…:)
    But on a serious note, I couldn’t agree more with you. I work for myself and I do take a 10am wellness class on Mondays and guess who are my classmates? Ladies over 70!

  • If many bosses let their employees to take a 2pm break for a workout, then that wouldn’t be off peak anymore…:)
    But on a serious note, I couldn’t agree more with you. I work for myself and I do take a 10am wellness class on Mondays and guess who are my classmates? Ladies over 70!

  • Terri says:

    A lot of companies work this way or are moving to it. Working 9-5 just isn’t reality anymore.

    On a side note a class I took recently referred to your ‘living off peak’ concept as ‘staying out of the drift’. Doing the same things at the same times every week (the drift) puts you in a rut. It doesn’t give you opportunities to meet new people, learn new things or have new experiences which are the things that keep you relevant in any career.

  • Terri says:

    A lot of companies work this way or are moving to it. Working 9-5 just isn’t reality anymore.

    On a side note a class I took recently referred to your ‘living off peak’ concept as ‘staying out of the drift’. Doing the same things at the same times every week (the drift) puts you in a rut. It doesn’t give you opportunities to meet new people, learn new things or have new experiences which are the things that keep you relevant in any career.

  • Terri says:

    A lot of companies work this way or are moving to it. Working 9-5 just isn’t reality anymore.

    On a side note a class I took recently referred to your ‘living off peak’ concept as ‘staying out of the drift’. Doing the same things at the same times every week (the drift) puts you in a rut. It doesn’t give you opportunities to meet new people, learn new things or have new experiences which are the things that keep you relevant in any career.

  • Jo says:

    We travel off-peak, and we get extra deals, shorter lines, more options, and great personalized service. I especially love the discounted aspect- it means we’re able to do things we wouldn’t consider because we might otherwise not be able to afford, or do more. Unfortunately, since my husband is still a grad student, he works off-peak in addition to peak hours…

  • Jo says:

    We travel off-peak, and we get extra deals, shorter lines, more options, and great personalized service. I especially love the discounted aspect- it means we’re able to do things we wouldn’t consider because we might otherwise not be able to afford, or do more. Unfortunately, since my husband is still a grad student, he works off-peak in addition to peak hours…

  • Jo says:

    We travel off-peak, and we get extra deals, shorter lines, more options, and great personalized service. I especially love the discounted aspect- it means we’re able to do things we wouldn’t consider because we might otherwise not be able to afford, or do more. Unfortunately, since my husband is still a grad student, he works off-peak in addition to peak hours…

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