Technology for proactively allocating data storage resources to a storage object. A rate at which host I/O operations directed to the storage object are received and/or processed is monitored during a monitored time period, and a high activity time range is identified. An anticipatory time range is defined that is a range of time immediately preceding the high activity time range. During the anticipatory time range within a subsequent time period following the monitored time period, high performance non-volatile storage is allocated to the storage object that is available for processing host I/O operations directed to the storage object at the beginning of and throughout the high activity time range. A low activity time range may also be identified, and lower performance non-volatile storage may be allocated to the storage object within an anticipatory time range immediately preceding the low activity time range.