An Extra Hour For Your Lineup

There were some interesting findings in a regular feature of Reader's Digest. In It's Around The World article it asked people from around the world, "What would you do with an extra hour?" Some of the results were:

• Spain: 50% would use it for family time
• Turkey: 41% would exercise
• Germany: 37% would sleep
• India: 50% would work another hour at their job

In the US the results were:

• 37% Family Time
• 32% Sleep
• 23% Exercise
• 9% Work

What is even more intriguing is how obtainable an hour could be for many people. Get up 15 minutes earlier, take 15 minutes less for lunch, cut out 15 minutes of web surfing or TV viewing and you already have 45 minutes. Send a couple less e mails and text messages and you are approaching the coveted hour.

The key is being a good ringmaster and making the best use of your discretionary time to make these moments a reality-regardless of how you plan to spend it. What would YOU do with an extra hour-and what are you willing to change to make it a reality.

Remembering The Power Of The Small Things

Twenty three years ago today, the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded 74 seconds after takeoff. It was a tragic day, marking the first time US astronauts had died in flight. It seemed especially painful due to so many school children across the country watching the launch of the first teacher in space. We as Americans had become so accustomed to seeing successful space flights that we were in total shock that something like this could happen.

After a lengthy and thorough investigation, the cause of the explosion was determined to be a faulty "o" ring in one of its solid rocket boosters. The diameter of the rings is .280 inches. That's the diameter of the average pencil eraser. It seems impossible that something so small could cause such a catastrophic event for a shuttle so large, but it reminds us of the need to never overlook or neglect the small details.

As you go through your day, reflect on your own actions. Are you neglecting to address an issue with a co worker that is impacting office productivity? Ignoring an item on your task list because it would be uncomfortable to tackle it? Failing to start improving your health because you're "too busy?" Remember the "o" ring, and get the right things done-Now.

The Magic 3 Hours

I had the privilege and opportunity to hear Hyrum Smith speak many times. One of his personal convictions was a philosophy that he called "the magic three hours." He would encourage those in his seminars that said, "I just don't have time to do what I want to do," to consider the 3 hours before going to work or the 3 hours before going to bed. Which 3 hours you consider would depend on whether you are a morning person or an evening person. The concept is to focus on those 3 hours and make them an effective part of your day. Now you may be saying, "I go to work at 8:00 AM. Does that mean that I have to wake up at 5:00 a.m.?" Well, the answer is YES!

The magic 3 hours for me are in the morning (I am usually exhausted and my brain is toast by the evening). I find that I get so much more done when I get up early and have some "uninterrupted time." Uninterrupted time is important-especially with a young family (a blog for another day).

My magic 3 hours include exercise, reading, planning my day, spending time with my wife and daughters before school and work (breakfast, packing lunches and last minute homework, planning dinner), playing the guitar and then getting ready to get out the door for work.

I find that I do better at work when I have had a successful "magic 3 hours." I am more focused, more relaxed and have more energy. I will admit that it takes some time to get accustomed to 5:00 AM. But, if you are consistent and try it for 3 weeks, it becomes a habit and whole lot easier. If you are not a morning person, focus on the late evening. Keep your time clear and make that your magic 3 hours. You will be amazed at what you can accomplish.

Family Schedules

While my family and I have maintained somewhat of a daily "schedule" we have often strayed from it to accommodate things that in reality were not important or could have been done later. We also just got lazy from time to time.

A few weeks ago my wife and I decided to make a change. We created a daily schedule that includes both a morning routine and our afternoon/evening routine. We built in regularly weekly activities such as piano practice and church events. We also included the weekly family "intermission" as well as time for just mom and dad. We didn't just put in the things we "had" to do, but also the things we wanted to do.

It is incredible how liberating it has been to everyone in our family. Each of us know when/where we need to be and what has to accomplished each day. It has helped us to "police" our own personal schedules and get the most important things done so we are ready for family events. I have personally benefited from the increased focus time in the evening. I'm finally getting the personal reading time I have been looking for. Our stress level as a family has diminished, due in large part to having "no surprises." Before going to bed each night, we talk as a family about the next day, and see what changes might be needed to keep our lives in better order.

Yes, there have been some adjustments and changes made. The benefits, however, have been terrific-for all of us.

Just 30 Minutes a Day

What can be accomplished in just 30 minutes? A lot of different items come to mind-a phone call to a friend, checking email, a stand up meeting, a power lunch, etc. In our block of 24 hours a day though, 30 minutes doesn't seem like much.

But consider if you took 30 minutes a day for a week, month or year. That same 30 minutes can really add up-3 hours and 30 minutes a week, 16 hours a month, 182 hours a year. I realize that I probably waste more than 30 minutes a day on unproductive activities (that's a blog for another day), but what is the power of focusing 30 minutes a day on a specific goal or task?

What would be the outcome of reading 30 minutes a day-how many books could you read? What if you spent 30 minutes a day writing a book-how soon would you have a novel? Experts say that there is real value in exercising just 30 minutes a day-how much weigh could you lose?

We had a very large load of top soil delivered to our home for our yard. The task was very overwhelming to me as I looked at that big pile of dirt in my driveway. But, I made the decision to wake up 30 minutes earlier in the morning and spend that time wheel barreling top soil. It took time but eventually the project was completed. I took satisfaction each day as I saw consistent progress towards my goal over time.

What can you accomplish if you consistently focused on something for 30 minutes a day? Pick a goal, carve out the time and then be amazed.