POWER HOUR

Recently I have been on a quest to make more of the 24 hours I have in a day. A lot of times when I finish work and homework, I find myself just wanting to curl up in a ball and watch TV. This leads to piles of laundry, dirty dishes lingering in the sink, and an overall feeling of undeniable guilt. Recently I have reinstated a previous method I used to increase productivity, called Power Hour.

I learned about Power Hour when I read The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. In this book she shares the life hacks that worked for her on her quest for happiness. Rubin found that items that did not have a due date or high priority, often got ignored, leaving her feeling drained and stressed out. This is items such as cleaning the kitchen, making a doctor's appointment, or cleaning out the pantry. By dedicating one single hour to it, the tasks seem less daunting.

If I commit to just one hour of getting stuff done, I find myself to be much more successful and feel much better about my life. Once a day I will set an alarm for one hour. During this time, I do not allow interruptions. I put my phone away, I let my boyfriend know I am working, and I just focus on the task at hand.

The great thing about Power Hour is that more often than not, I find myself working well beyond the hour. Once I get in a groove and start crossing items off my to do list, I don't want to stop.

Some tips for Power Hour?
Make a laser focused to do list! Having twenty items on your to do list won't be helpful to you. Pick 3-5 items to focus on during that hour and zone in on just those.

Respect your hour! It won't be useful to you if you spend the hour scrolling through Instagram. Put the phone away and be honest with yourself!

Reward yourself! After completing an hour of uninterrupted work, celebrate it. I usually allow myself 15-20 minutes on social media or YouTube after I complete an hour. Then more often than not, I find myself getting right back to work!