I do not have the relationship to AI assistance you've beautifully wrangled, but yes to all the ways working on a different timeline show up. For me, it's circadian rhythm based and seasonal. Most of my career has been in foodservice and hospitality/service sector. "Bakery Hours" regardless of the job and aggregated availability because people's needs (and restaurant equipment) don't neatly fit into a 9-5. So I'd knock out my admin work and planning first thing and would accomplish easily in an hour what would take 12 hours if I tried to do it later. I'm sensitive to interruptions and task switching doesn't come easily, though I can manage several tasks at once in batches (yay for being a chef!) and apparently made it look to easy because people would pop into the kitchen during a rush and ask random questions or want to visit without realizing I was managing my space with surgical precision and they'd expect my full attention like I was just, I dunno, playing house?

Once I realized that though I came up with some pleasant, hey thanks not now type greetings but the other end of that was before Gmail had scheduled send, all my mail went out at 3 am so people had this impression that I was working around the clock. They didn't realize I scheduled a 2 hour siesta every day, or took myself out to do random fun things or build client relationships, connect with staff and vendors in unexpected ways that yielded wonderful outcomes. I organized my days based on understanding *my* rhythm and it often gave the appearance of being superhuman or lacking boundaries. Lonely indeed, especially when so much of my work is people work. The irony of understanding others and accommodating them with deep care and consideration only to never experience that myself ain't lost on me 😂

Now I'm a stay at home mom and not on any of those tropes either. The kids get it. But they feel the external pressures too... Like we're "getting away" with something and I remain firm in my stance that *this* is actually how life should be, understanding our own pace. (And my spouse wouldn't have the job he does without my capacity for running a household like a tiny restaurant, his autonomous vehicle engineer brain forgets to eat or leave his desk more often than I think is good for anyone 😂 but he has his own rhythm too and a team that spans 5 countries, he aggregates his day too)

It's what so many people want and don't believe it's possible. Glad to see more people piping up about "alternative" work styles!