While he has authored six books, including four New York Times best sellers, the actual task of writing has always been “freaking hard” for Daniel Pink. That struggle and the subsequent search for guidance revealed a treasure trove of social science data on timing and human performance. Pink’s quest revealed that our brainpower changes in significant and important ways over the course of a day. We have a daily high point (peak), a low point (trough), and a transition period (recovery). Says Pink, “If you apply this cycle to a type of task, you can figure out a better, smarter, more strategic way to configure your own day.”

Analytic (tasks) in the peak, administrative in the trough, insight in the recovery. If you do that, the odds are very good you’re going to feel better, get more work done, and get better work done.

When this daily time cycle begins and ends depends on your individual “chronotype” or natural inclination. Are you an early bird—naturally waking up early and going to sleep early? Are you a night owl—waking up late and going to sleep late? Or, are you somewhere in between? The key is to match your chronotype to the requirements of the task and then align that with the time of day. Pink’s research also suggests that if you’re planning to make a big change in your life, you’re better off using what he calls “a fresh start date” such as a Monday or the first of the month. Beyond the home office, Pink claims these timing structures can improve performance in businesses, schools, and other organizations.

Daniel Pink has also applied social science data to other aspects of human behaviors such as mood, persuasion, and drive, or what motivates us. Some of the findings are surprising. Choral singing is almost as good for us as exercise. Synchronized group activities and being outside boosts our mood and even our immune system. Human beings love rewards and are easily motivated by what Pink calls “If/Then” rewards for short term tasks. “If you do this, then you get that.” To successfully persuade someone, help them see things afresh by changing the context and allowing them to come to the desired conclusion on their own.

There are so many useful ways to apply social science data to daily life and decision-making. “For example,” says Pink, “don’t schedule surgery in the afternoon if the doctor is a morning person or a court date in the morning if the judge is a night owl.”

Otherwise, you may have to take them outside and reward them with a sing-along.