It's that time of year again: Daylight Savings Time. How many times have you said I wish there were more hours in the day? This weekend you get an extra hour and the opportunity to make the most of it!
We all know that business goals can be achieved through hard work, but many other factors influence business success. The following are ways to use your extra hour wisely to spark creativity and set yourself up for continued success.
1. Planning for 2022. Sometimes we forget to take a step back from business to do the critical task of planning. An hour is the perfect amount of time to assess where you want to be in 2022.
Plan out your business or personal goals for 2022, and then schedule them into your calendar.
The more specific you can be with these goals, the better off you’ll be at creating realistic plans for achieving them. I write my list of personal and professional goals on a card taped above my computer so I can see them every day. 2. Spend time doing something you love. What are those things that bring you joy that you don’t always make time to do? This could be taking a walk, meditating, painting, playing music, cooking, catching up on some reading, or even just sitting outside with a cup of tea or an adult beverage. Sometimes our most creative sparks come from just letting our minds wander! 3. Declutter your mind. Take care of any unfinished tasks that have been bugging you lately. Take this opportunity to tackle any tasks you’ve been putting off doing, whether it be filing paperwork, getting organized, or tackling a big project.
It’s hard to focus when you have a bunch of things hanging over your head. If it feels unrealistic to make a dent in your large project in an hour, chop it down into chunks and get something small done. You will feel much better! 4. Squash things that make you feel bad. Evaluate distractions in your life and create a plan for minimizing them. This is especially important for people who need to get in a state of flow to get creative tasks done.
I take the time once a year to think about things that distract my mind. These are things like fatigue, ill-fitting clothing, interruptions like too many meetings, or getting caught in the doom scroll on social media. I also make a list of things that make me feel like I am operating at peak—exercise, daily walks, cooking, lazy Sundays, and reading.
I take these two lists, and I think about how to amplify things that make me feel good to minimize things that cause distraction. For instance, taking care of my body with good nutrition and exercise combats fatigue and helps my clothes fit better. On the professional side, scheduling meetings on certain afternoons gives me uninterrupted blocks of time to do my writing and client projects.
5. Sleep. If you’re not getting enough sleep, it can seriously affect your mood, health, and energy levels throughout the day. Sleep is our friend and one of the best ways to increase productivity! If you are tired, say no to that hustle culture and get your zz’s on!
I hope that gives you some ideas for what to do with your extra time in the day this weekend. Whatever you choose to do with your hour, I hope it brings you joy! And please share. I’d love to hear from you.