September always makes me think of change.
The change that happens when returning to school symbolizes the end of summer. There’s also a change in weather, reflecting the change in seasons. Television shows often air new episodes in September, and many professional sports start the regular season in September or October.
In the same spirit of change, I find this month to be an excellent time to start new habits or revisit old habits and see what I can change before the end of the year.
My New Habit: Power Hour
One of the new habits I’ve been playing around with is finding ways to maximize my free time. Specifically, I’ve been thinking about ways to simultaneously address several areas of PROMISE to feel more balanced in my day.
My solution? Having a power hour.
The Power Hour is about doing different activities integrating several areas of the Promise Wheel, all in around one hour.
Lately, my power hour consists of four activities (each lasting about 15 minutes) that address several domains of PROMISE.
Now, each activity doesn’t have to last 15 minutes. You can choose to do three activities that last 20-minutes each. Or six activities that last 10 minutes each.
Regardless of how long I perform each activity, I aim to devote one hour of my day to addressing several domains of PROMISE.
Four Domains in an Hour
Here’s an example of some of the activities I’ve been engaging in over the last couple of months that make up my power hour.
- Physical domain – Doing a few pull-ups, stretching, using my foam roller, or doing yoga for 15-minutes.
- Mind domain – Working on a blog post for 15 minutes or watching 15-minutes of an educational webinar. These activities (writing and webinars) help to stimulate my thinking and educate me on different ideas.
- Interests/Hobbies domain – Reading a book for 15-minutes, reading up on sports matches, or reading about watches (my newest hobby).
- Spirituality domain – Praying or meditating for 15-minutes. Sometimes, I’ll sit in silence and just stare outside my window.
What Would be in Your Power Hour?
I’m sure the many things you do daily are already addressing many parts of your Wheel.
But what if you were to focus on just four activities at just 15-minutes per activity? What would they be? What would your Power Hour look like?
When you devote a specific amount of time to just a few activities, you become more intentional with your time. You feel compelled to reflect and prioritize the activities that help you feel balanced, while also giving you an opportunity to address the areas of your life that you might be neglecting.
I hope this post gives you some ideas on how to spend your time and moves you one step closer to feeling more balanced.
Richard
If you enjoyed this post, then pick up my new book, The Promise Wheel: Psychology For Growth and a Balanced Life. I provide dozens of strategies and insights on how to improve your health, relationships, and career so that you can achieve personal balance, feel less stressed, and have fun again.