Personal Productivity Tip: Protect Your 'Power Hours'

Whether you're single and going to school, married and with no children, or a parent who works outside of the home (i.e. a physical building that's not your house), we all have times within the day when we are most focused and least distracted. For some, it is early morning, for others, it is after dinner or sometime in the evening. These are power hours.

They don't come automatically. We need to protect this time. No emails, no social media, nothing that would keep us from focusing on our main task/project at hand, whatever that may be for you.  

In several places throughout the Psalms, we find mention of the mornings. If you've been to this space a while, you know that I've addressed the importance of the mornings on several occasions. For me, it's an ideal time to get my mind and body focused for the day ahead. Psalm 90:14 - Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. Psalm 143:8 - Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you.

My best work is done in the first 2 hours of the day (roughly from 7am to 9am). It's when I tackle important work projects, writing, content creation, family activity planning, study prep, and more. (For more details, check out this post about my morning routine.)

How can you get started incorporating power hours into your schedule?

1) Identify your power hours
When is the best time for you to get (important) stuff done? When are you most focused? You should be able to identify at least one to two hours every day or, at a minimum, every week, where you can focus on miscellaneous but important tasks or activities. Note: It's not about having time or not having time, it's about making time. We all have 24 hours in a day. We invest our time on things that matter.

​2) Protect your power hours
Once you've identified your power hour(s), set that time aside. Use it only for the most important, beneficial, or high-return activities. If distractions, emergencies, required and/or important meetings come up, adjust accordingly, then get right back on task.
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3) Repeat 
Make it a habit. Use that time slot every day (or at least during the weekday) and you will begin to see a rhythm to the way you work and an increase in productivity.

​Danny

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