Finding Focus - Part Three, The Power Hour

Sunday, March 16, 2008, by Leigh Anne

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“The things that make you feel, think, laugh”

Today is Part Three of our Finding Focus series.

The last few weeks I have shared ideas on how to find focus in your life and homebased business when you only have a few minutes with the Fifteen Minute Focus or how to get focused when you have a whole day with the concept of the Catch Up Day.

But what about the in between? You have more than a few minutes but not quite a whole day. Try the Power Hour!

The Power Hour is a technique I learned years ago from Sue Rusch, a former top leader with Pampered Chef.

The Power Hour is a catch up technique you can use, like the Fifteen Minute Focus when you are feeling overwhelmed and constantly behind. This technique has helped me to gather that splattered energy and refocus my attention - to focus on what really matters.

Here is how it works - you beg, borrow or steal one hour during the day to devote entirely and totally to your business or some other project you are trying to accomplish.

If you have young children at home, hire a sitter, trade with a neighbor, negotiate with your husband or stay up an hour later or get up an hour earlier than everyone else (this is what I find works best for me).

During this Power Hour you work as hard as you can on that one thing that has been eating at you - those customer care calls you can’t seem to get done (don’t do this one late at night or early in the morning :), the closet that needs organizing, or that exercise routine that keeps getting neglected - whatever it is that has been nagging at you.

A Power Hour is dedicated to one task or a couple of smaller ones. If you are using this concept to help you get more focused with your business be sure to stay focused on business building activities!

We need to realize we can not do everything - at least not all at the same time. You need a clear sense of the activities that are worthy of your time and those that will contribute little to your goals and mission.

Confucius said, “The man who chases 2 rabbits catches neither.”

Having the self-discipline to focus on our best activities - ones that create results that are desired can be challenging.

Focusing on the worthy is the golden key to time management, finding focus, balance and life fulfillment.

Here are tips that helped me during my Power Hour:

Just like with the Fifteen Minute Focus - use a timer.
Decide on what your reward will be at the end of your Power Hour - maybe a cup of tea, a movie with your husband or a hot bath before bed or maybe even some chocolate!
Do not answer the phone during your Power Hour.
Shut the door to the room where you are working if possible and remember what I tell my children - don’t bother me unless there is blood or you’re not breathing!

In the book “Don’t Worry, Make Money“ Richard Carlson recommends “experimenting with the one-hour solution.” Spending one hour each and every day, doing what is the critical inch of your business. The critical inch being the key parts of our business (not simply busy work), income producing activities.

Just this week, I used the technique to help me get caught up on an Internet course I had enrolled in. I had gotten very behind (15 weeks behind to tell the truth!). I set aside a Power Hour each day and set a goal to accomplish two lessons a day and now I am almost caught up!

So what is the one thing that has been nagging at you, causing you to feel splattered and unfocused? Find time for one Power Hour this week and work on that project. Give it a try and let me know by leaving a comment below how it works for you!

Happy Power Hour!

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Categories: Home Based Business, Inspire, Motivation, Time Management