Are you the early bird, or the last-minute person? There’s rarely an in-between.
It’s either-or—that’s all.
Take it or leave it—but that’s the way it usually is.
And while you may gravitate toward one pole more than the other, most of us know ourselves well enough to admit we lean heavily in one direction.
Accepting that reality may shape your success—or sabotage it—in your business, career, or personal life. And as always, I speak from experience.
I want to be an early bird. I truly do.
There’s something so satisfying about completing a task instead of letting it hover over your head like a raincloud ready to unleash havoc—and stress—upon you.
But there have been countless nights when I was up into the wee hours finishing a paper or project.
I hate to admit this dates back to grammar school—staying up late to polish my history or science project to compete in my school fair.
In college, it was papers, exams, and everything in between. Too many things to recall, and too embarrassing to list.
Waiting until the last minute.
Why do we do that?
Why do we wreak our own havoc?
I reflected on that again this Thanksgiving Eve as traffic crawled bumper to bumper and grocery store parking lots were filled to capacity. And I remembered when I used to be one of those cars.
Sometimes I was the early bird—picking up my turkey early and letting it thaw in the fridge.
Other times, in Louisiana fashion, I ordered stuffed turkey rolls from a coworker—one for me, and one for my out-of-town family when we celebrated the holiday together. They were delicious, and always a big hit.
But despite my early prep, I always wound up staying up late seasoning, stuffing, basting, and checking on the turkey. This was back when Mama and my oldest brother were still here.
As time passed, I got lazy and stopped making the potato salad from scratch. Store-bought it became. But—since this is Louisiana, it was made by locals who know how to create mustard potato salad like second nature.
Back to the either-or:
Why do we fall into these categories in the first place? ChatGPT provides clarity on these issues:
Why Some People Become Early Birds
- Structure-seeking—you feel calmer when tasks are completed ahead of time.
- Routine-driven—your natural rhythm prefers order and predictability.
- Reward-motivated—you enjoy the relief of finishing early.
- Stress-averse—you avoid last-minute adrenaline.
Why Some People Become Last-Minute People
- Pressure-activated—your creativity spikes under a deadline.
- Overthinker-prone—you delay because you want to get it “just right.”
- Time-blind—you underestimate how long things take.
- Energized by urgency—the countdown fuels your focus.
Advantages of Each
- Early birds—you experience clarity, space, and peace of mind.
- Last-minute people—you tap into spontaneous creativity and sharper intuition.
Disadvantages of Each
- Early birds—you may over-plan or spend too much time preparing.
- Last-minute people—you experience unnecessary stress and fatigue.
And then, there’s the question: Is this inherited, or learned? I’m convinced that because it’s me, some of it is in the lineage. But—but won’t name names.
More importantly, what strategies help prevent either tendency from hurting us? Here are five for good measure, also complements of AI:
5 Strategies to Keep Either Tendency from Hurting You
- Build micro-deadlines—break big tasks into mini milestones: This gives early birds structure and gives last-minute people the urgency they need without the stress crash.
- Use a “priority trio”—focus on only three must-dos per day: Early birds avoid over planning, and last-minute people avoid overwhelm. Three focuses feels doable for both.
- Schedule a buffer zone—always keep 10–20% of your week open: Life happens. Early birds gain flexibility, and last-minute people gain breathing room for inevitable crunches.
- Adopt a warm-up ritual—start with a small 5-minute action: A tiny action removes hesitation. It grounds early birds and activates last-minute workers without the pressure.
- Reflect weekly—identify which habits pushed you forward or held you back; Self awareness is the great equalizer. Reviewing your week helps both types refine what’s working—and discard what’s not.
Moving Forward
Because whether you’re an early bird or a last-minute person, one thing is undeniably true:
Our best work often happens at the last minute.
That’s when creativity kicks in, and when ideas spark. And it makes me wonder—if I had written something earlier, would it turn out the same?
But everything comes at a price: Stress. Sound familiar?
It’s time to identify ourselves, and then proceed.
It’s time to decide who we are, and who we want to be moving forward.
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I’m Ruth Anita Foote, an award-winning journalist, historian, author, and online entrepreneur— passionate about helping you enhance your business, career, and lifestyle. Whether you need writing, editing, research, or online business development, I’m here to support your growth. My goal is to empower you to elevate your success and make a lasting impact in your field. You can connect to all my social media platforms through Linktr.ee
