Everyone has a certain part of the day when their productivity is 10X higher than any other time frame. Imagine accomplishing in two hours what could previously have taken all day. This part of your day is called your Peak Activity Window and if used to its fullest, you can be much more successful on your hunt. I’ve gotten away from using my Peak Activity Window to its fullest by allowed the many distractions of life to interfere with the incredibly productive first hours of my day. I am a rooster, up and moving and thinking while my house is still dark and my kids are asleep. Some days it seems I can get more done in two hours than I can for the rest of the day.
Your PAW is not for answering emails or taking phone calls. It is for thinking and planning and plotting the course to take down the big targets you are after in your life. These are the hours when work flows from your fingertips, when life’s challenges become easier to solve, when you are the best version of yourself. You must guard these hours and protect them, so you can apply yourself daily to your hunt.
Here are a few simple rules for protecting your PAW:
- Block out the time on your calendar – If you have to create a code name for it, do!
- Use the “Do Not Disturb” feature on your phone – so the alert of a text message or call is not a distraction
- Secure a private or less distracting location for working on your PAW projects – use someone else’s office or a small conference room
- Double down on your time – my thoughts are crystal clear on the treadmill. Scheduling workouts during my PAW ensures I hit both of my targets on that day.
I hope you will take the time to use these rules: I know I’m making it a priority. As much as we have to march to other people’s schedules sometimes, we will never be at our best when we ignore the patterns of our own nature. Your time and energy are the most valuable commodities you control. Manage them wisely.
