The Hour of Power

Not too long ago I was having lunch with a friend and I happen to mentioned that I have a bad habit. My habit?

Throughout the week, I focus the majority of my attention on the tasks I enjoy. This produces some interesting results. First, I typically LOVE my work. Primarily because I only work on what I love. Second, I end up with a long list of tasks that I don't want to do, but need to be done.

After I shared my habit he simply replied, "You need an hour of power."
To which I replied, "A What?"

He explained. One hour per day, preferably earlier rather than later in the day, in which I simply work on the important tasks that I typically avoid. The concept is to give that task list at least an hour, maybe no more than that. Unfinished items can simply be moved to the following day. But, no less than one hour. If I should get into a task and find that it is pushing an hour and I decide to keep going until completion I can. As long as it is not time sensitive, it is up to me.

I decided to give it a shot. It has been a few weeks and I have not had the Hour of Power every day, but I have had many.

As expected, I get more done. Many important, yet uninteresting tasks are being completed and this is a good thing.

I have also experienced some significant results which I did not expect.

I was not aware of the tension and pressure that was building internally due to unfinished tasks. Moving these items forward even a little each day caused such a relief. When I put off the tasks I don't enjoy I am actually creating a backlog of stress. Those unfinished tasks are like the little apps running in the background on your PC. Not until you clear those out do you realize how much more resources are available for the tasks at hand.

Also, I have experienced much more freedom with the rest of the day to focus on what I love. One of the biggest benefits I have noticed is a surge in creativity and interest in learning. When I am cluttered with unaddressed tasks I don't have the capacity for creativity and learning. I simply want to rest, even sleep. With forward motion in these important yet not interesting tasks I experience so much more energy. When it is time to turn my attention to the areas I love most I am so much more energized and ready to fully invest in what I love.

Bottom line, I am getting more done and I am enjoying what I love even more!

What would your hour of power look like? What is your system like?