Morning Brew - 🍻 Peak productivity

Hot take: The “morning person” vs. “night owl” debate shouldn’t be a debate. “Morning people” are often associated with success and productivity, but if 7am is always a struggle, the problem isn’t you. It’s when you’re trying to get sh*t done. A new article, inspired by the book When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing, says scheduling your energy, not your time, can greatly impact your productivity. 

Researcher and author Daniel H. Pink says about 80% of people are “morning larks” and 20% are night owls (which explains why morning hacks dominate the internet). For night owls, “energy and mood tend to be moderately high in the early afternoon, low in the early evening, and highest in the late evening and into the early morning.” So if that’s when you’re most productive, go forth and never set an early alarm again. 

If you’re unsure which category you fall into, try logging your time for seven days. Notice when you feel creative, when you hit a wall, and when you get your most important work done. 

If you’re a longtime Sidekick subscriber, you’ll recall this piece by former Googler John Zeratsky. He recommends making a template with the “elements of a good day” (think deep work, meals and breaks, admin stuff like email, exercise, family time) and laying it over your real calendar. Doing so has not only helped me stay on top of my to-do list but also carve out more time for rest and exercise. 

P.S. His book Make Time: How to Focus on What Matters Every Day is on my personal growth reading list. 

• A must-read: the best bagel shops in America. Did your fave place make the cut? 
• If The Home Edit Container Store collection is on your wishlist, listen to the latest episode of the Oh, I Like That pod, featuring top tips for spring cleaning. 
• Sick of margherita? Spice up your ’za with this mushroom pizza recipe. 
• You’ll never hit “Forgot your password?” again with these password managers and security tips. P.S: I guess “passphrase” is the new “password.” 
• How to make an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink compost tea. Don’t worry, it’s for your plants, not you. 

We’re coming up on our lockdown anniversary, and maybe this March you’ll do a little less bread-baking and a little more language learning. Research shows it can boost cognition, make the brain healthier, and enrich your worldview.  

With Toucan, you can learn a new language without really trying. It’s a gratis browser extension that translates words on the websites you visit. The words are selected based on your performance on Toucan’s vocab quizzes, so it might be time to set up a Quizlet account. Or, if you’re looking for a 200- or 300-level course, pick from this list of Discord servers. The Old Norse one is poppin’. 

For intermediate Spanish speakers, subscribe to the Duolingo podcast and NPR’s Radio Ambulante. Francophones should check out News in Slow French and One Thing in A French Day. 

Obviously we can’t leave out the hottest language learning app, TikTok. Here are a few language teachers to follow: Nathalie Kitahara (Japanese), Diego Rivas (Spanish), and Alex and Tom (French). 

If you have any favorite language learning tools, send ’em my way. 

Introducing: Outside. 

If you’re like us, you haven’t been there in a while, but “outside” is a lovely place to be. And now, thanks to Outer, you can be both outside and comfy.  

Outer’s outdoor furniture is made with a breakthrough fabric that’s just as comfortable as your living room sectional—and it’s built to last. 

Outer’s patented OuterShell® tech protects your outdoor sofa, too. That means no more sun-damaged furniture or surprise dampness when you plop down. 

Outer uses materials from recycled bottles to keep its environmental impact ant-sized (that’s a very small creature you sometimes encounter outside). 

Outside is pretty nice. Enjoy it with Outer. 

Today is your last chance to enter the Sidekick giveaway with our favorite jigsaw puzzle brand, Whiled. All their puzzles are colorful, designed by artists, and come in either 500 or 1,000 pieces, so no puzzle is too daunting. Plus, they double as wall art. 

When you share Sidekick using your unique link, you’ll be entered to win one of two Whiled jigsaw puzzles. And 1 referral = 1 entry, so the more you share, the greater chance you have of enjoying some tech-free screen time and slowing down over a Whiled puzzle.  

This (US only) giveaway ends tonight, Monday, March 8 at 11:59pm EST. 

• I never thought I would be obsessed with my hand sanitizer, but here I am. With ingredients like aloe vera and a blend of essential oils, Touchland’s power mist hand sanny is moisturizing, easy to carry around, and never leaves your hands feeling sticky. My scent picks: watermelon and citrus. 
• The award for the best cloth face mask goes to Athleta. It’s adjustable, triple-layered, and so soft. Snag artist Kendra Dandy’s limited edition mask bundle, and 100% of the proceeds will support Black women business owners. 
• No one loves working out in a mask, but if you’re hitting the gym, disposable masks are the way to go. They’re breathable, and you don’t have to worry about maskne. 

You only need 5 more referrals to receive Sidekick stickers.

If there’s one thing we know about laptops, it’s that they hate being naked. Get your comp some fresh Sidekick stickers.

Hit the button below to learn more and access your rewards hub.

Or copy & paste your referral link to others:
morningbrew.com/sidekick/r/?kid=303a04a9