Productivity Hour: Get more done in an hour than many do in a day
Establishing a ‘Productivity Hour’ is a way to set a daily routine and work towards accomplishing specific goals. Following this system every day will allow you to accomplish the tasks you don’t otherwise find time to do. It is a great way to eliminate procrastination, and will leave you feeling accomplished and energized before you start your day.
The Basics Divide one hour of each day into four fifteen minute blocks. Set aside each of these fifteen minute blocks towards reaching a desired goal (ideas below). Mixing up more enjoyable tasks with more challenging goals will make this hour of your day both something to look forward to and something to feel good about.
Ideas Below are some ideas of what you can do with during a 15 minute block. Feel free to add your own ideas to the comments page below!
- Do sit-ups
- Read a book
- Write a book
- Complete a quick homework task
- Relax and meditate with some good music
- Write a blog!
- Teach yourself a new language
- Keep a journal
- Create a to-do list for the day and plan out what you want to accomplish
- Write a letter to a friend
- Review notes from yesterday’s lecture in a challenging course
- Stay on top of current events
- Obviously, there are infinite possibilities!
Stick With It Attempt to repeat the 4 things you choose to do every day. Maybe you want to have a killer six pack or maybe you’ve been struggling to maintain a journal. No matter what you are trying to accomplish, doing it daily will allow you to see tangible results that you can be proud of! Then, when you’ve reached your goal, replace that 15 minute block with a new one. There is no limit to the number of things you can begin to accomplish with just one hour a day!
Benefits Establishing a morning routine has many great benefits. For many, getting out of bed sucks. A lot. If you have something each morning to feel good about, it will make pulling off the sheets that much easier. Also, getting things done in the morning will allow you to have more free time in the evening to relax and spend with friends.
Go ahead and give this Productivity Hour a try! You will feel good about what you have accomplished, and it only takes an hour.
August 16th, 2007 at 9:04 pm
Those are some excellent suggestions. I’m always looking for ways to improve my productivity. I really like the idea about having a morning routine. I’ve found that simply starting the day off right makes the entire day more productive.
August 16th, 2007 at 9:33 pm
Thanks for the reply Kim. Glad you like the suggestions. Join the RSS feed to stay on top of more articles like this one
August 16th, 2007 at 11:33 pm
That’s a great idea. Writing a blog doesn’t fit in 15 minutes periods for me though. I just might try this out for my September or October challenges. This months challenge is rising early (now at 5am). So there’s room in the mornings for a productivity hour.
August 16th, 2007 at 11:52 pm
@Lodewijkvdb
Thanks for the kind words. Yes, blogging may not fit into the 15 minutes. But maybe just working with your blog in that time, using it to email readers or practice SEO or some specific goal.
August 17th, 2007 at 12:02 pm
I have learnd about productivity from allmos all books that I could find on Amazon, but never heard about this idea!
where did you get it?
August 17th, 2007 at 12:07 pm
@Lernen
You’ll find this one in no book, I made it myself
August 25th, 2007 at 1:49 pm
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