When are you able to do your best work?
In the morning, in the evening?
After lunch?
(Really?!… Seriously, does *anyone* feel at their most alert or productive after lunch?!? Though I AM pretty productive in the chocolate-snacking-skills right around then!) 😉
Point is, we all have a time of day that we’re naturally more able to focus and concentrate and be most productive.
And the question is, at this busy time mid-term, are we maximizing it to really supercharge our results?
This week, I’m sharing how to do just that…
Let’s start with a quick example.
I know of one guy who actually trains people in productivity and is really particular about it and calls it his ‘Power Hour’.
And during that one hour every day is when he sits down and does some of his most important work. Not even his kids are allowed to disturb him!
And I know of another high-flyer who doesn’t schedule ANY meetings or phone calls between 8am and noon because they know that’s their best time for doing their best work.
And for me, I know that I’m best in the mornings. I’m pretty useless mid afternoon – and then I often get a kind of second wind in the evening after dinner. (Not always a great thing, seeing as I like to get to bed early!)
Anyhow, it’s really important for students to be aware of and recognise when they’re at their best too. To know their ‘power hour’.
And not just so that they can work well during that time – but so that they can optimise it. Make best use of and maximise that time to use it to their advantage.
So let’s get specific and dig deeper into HOW to actually do that.
During that peak performance time – their power hour – or whatever they want to call it – students SHOULDN’T use this to power through the work they can get done quickly and easily.
There’s a temptation to do that, because we’re feeling motivated and we wanna smash out a load of work, get plenty of ticks on the to-do list (amiright?!!?!)
But those are the tasks that should be left for less-productive times, when our brain cells are only capable of the quick and easy jobs.
Here’s what students should do instead:
Firstly, they need to schedule that optimal brain power time to tackle the tougher tasks.
That is, those that take the most concentration, or the most creative or higher level thinking. Those that really take dedication and often – let’s be honest – this can be those tasks that they really don’t want to do 😉
These difficult tasks are the ones that should get done in the power hour.
Selecting tasks should be about the level and quality of the work, not the quantity.
Let me repeat that!
Selecting tasks should be about the level and quality of the work, not the quantity.
Secondly, they can also consider whether there are ways to extend or increase that period of time.
For example, if they’re an early bird, can they go to bed a bit earlier and get up earlier, giving themselves an extra 30mins or even an hour of super productive time each day?
Then things can filter down from there…
So, next, take on and complete the ‘medium level tasks’ at the slightly less productive, but not those totally brain-dead times.
For example, this might be proof reading the thing they wrote during their power hour. Proofreading is less creative and requires less high order thinking, but still requires focus and concentration.
So definitely don’t do these tasks at the lowest focus times because the errors or edits will just get missed and need to be re-read again – not efficient at all!
Then finally, students should save the menial, low level tasks, like filing notes, or cleaning up their desk, or making a to-do list, for the times when they’re just not as motivated or focused.
Or of COURSE, use these times for relaxing and re-energising! (Also important but never actually written on a to-do list, right?!)
But actually, re-energising and relaxation are essential for making those power hours as alert and productive as possible.
So, we’ve gone full circle, back to the power hour 🙂
I love it when a system is rounded out and all the dots join together!
So, the key takeaway here is to make sure your teen knows what their most productive and focused time of day is, and THEN have them see how they can optimise that with using it to tackle the trickiest tasks that require the highest levels of cognitive work, and if possible, maximise it by altering their schedule or sleep patterns.
I’d love to know – when’s your teen’s power hour? What’s yare they already doing to maximise their power hour and what could they do to make it even better?
Scroll down, leave me a comment, and until next week, let’s make this a fantastic week 🙂
Katie
