07 Nov Use Power Hours To Get Things Done!

Have you ever had days where you work and work and work, but don’t seem to get anything done?  And then you have days where you are totally on your game?  Believe it or not, it’s not a mystery, nor luck, but rather, adhering to a few key practices to maximize your productivity and enjoy peak performance.

I love doing what I call Power Hours.  These are dedicated times where I clear out all the clutter and hunker down and Get. Things. Done.  It’s simpler than you think.

The key ingredients are:

1. Managing Your Energy vs Time. Hands down, you will will always get more done in a rested and energized hour than you will over the course of many hours when you are tired and dragging.
2. Having Total Clarity on Your Tasks: Decide before hand what you will focus on in your power hour and Stick. To. It.   No multi tasking here!
3. Avoiding ALL Distractions: Turn off your phone, your e-mail alerts, anything that beeps, bings or buzzes.  Tell your co-workers that you are going off the grid and stick to your tasks at hand.  It’s just for an hour.  They can wait.
4. Pace Yourself:  Don’t panic if your clock is coming up on the hour and you are not finished with your task.  You can always schedule another hour or take a break and reset the clock to continue on.  But do not, and I repeat do not, just plow through.  Study after study shows us that after 60 – 90 minutes, we lose focus and are less productive if we work in long stretches.

So, try it out and let us know if this strategy works for you!

Until the next time!

Vivienne