What Could One Hour Per Day Mean to You?
Paul White's nationally distributed syndicated column, “What Could One Hour Per Day Mean to You?” is published in 22 publications across seven states. This includes the following newspapers and digital publications: Midland Daily News (MI), SFGate (CA), Seattle PI (WA), Connecticut Post (CT), Laredo Morning Times (TX), Huron Daily Tribune (MI), The Telegraph (IL), and more. Inside the article, you will find one of the most valuable life tools that was given to me by a business coach. All you need is five minutes to read my latest article and then one hour per day to achieve joy and happiness — remember, I believe in you!
Back when I owned a business, I belonged to a management bureau, or cost group, that was part of our industry. We met every three months. Our leader was a genius and nearly every meeting she would assign a book to read. It typically would deliver a “punch in the gut” to get our attention in an area of running a successful company that we were lagging in. I can still remember when she told us to purchase “The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement” by Eliyahu M. Goldratt.
When I first saw the cover, I didn't feel inspired to start reading, but I knew the penalty if I didn’t finish it by the next meeting and didn’t want to experience the pain of not doing what I was being told to do by someone I was paying money to coach me. So, I read it and I’m so glad I did. There were many lessons that I immediately implemented in our company even before we met again as a group. When we reconvened, everyone was excited to share what they had learned. Turns out none of us had captured what our consultant felt was the most important lesson the book had to offer.
In the book, a plant manager has been charged with revitalizing a factory that’s fallen on hard times and is failing. He tries many of the traditional solutions and none of them work. The harder he tries, the more things just seem to get worse. Finally, giving up and giving in, he buys a six pack of beer and a pizza, drives up to the top of a hill that overlooks the factory, sits down and for the first time sees things from a totally different perspective. Why? Because he had been looking from the inside rather than from the outside looking in. It suddenly became clear what needed to happen to turn things around. As a group, we all became mesmerized with all the things the plant manager implemented once he clearly saw what needed to occur and we became focused on the solutions.
The problem with that is we all missed the life lesson of understanding what it was that took the plant manager from wanting to completely give up to clearly visioning the solution. After all, many people know how to attack a problem and implement a solution they’ve found, but it’s the finding that we all seem to inconsistently pursue. This is where our consultant came in and saved the day by explaining that the main takeaway from the book was what the plant manager did to free his mind, open it and allow it to think clearly without distraction. Sometimes we’re all too close to a situation to see it without the emotion, drama and anxiety we experience when we’re right in the thick of things. Based on her wisdom gained from the book, our consultant told us what she wanted all of us to do over the next three months. We all collectively responded with “Are you nuts? We can’t do that.”
She proposed that we choose one hour per day, at a specific time, tell our co-workers that we were not to be disturbed for any reason other than a fire or medical emergency, close our door, turn off our phones (not just silence them, but completely powered off) and shut down our computer. We would have preferred to smash our thumb with a hammer or drop a bowling ball on our toes, but to completely cut ourselves off from the cyber and outside world? That was unreasonable. Or so we thought.
She exercised her leverage over our behaviors and made each of us promise that we would commit to one hour per day before she became clear about what we were going to do with that hour each day. That’s when she dropped the bomb. We were supposed to take that entire hour and do nothing other than think. We would use that hour to pause our normal routines, free up our brain from all the minutia we juggled up there each day, and then think deeply about the things that mattered most. Not just for our businesses, but for every area of life.
We found we had been given a great gift. It became amazing how clearly and deeply we could think about anything when we were freed from the possibility of interruptions.
We also realized that so many incredible thought processes that led to solutions had been interrupted by people, phone calls, emails and text messages that had prevented us from finishing a thought and discovering a workable solution. In some cases, we had been so close to completion, but the interruption had taken away the momentum we had going, and we struggled to get it back and finalize the thought process that had just been so close to our grasp.
The hour I devote each day to doing nothing more than thinking became a valuable life tool for me. Sure, I utilize it for business and career decisions, but its true value entered every other part of my life. I had a chance to think clearly and deeply about being a better husband, father, friend, mentor, community member, volunteer, society inspirer, example setter, along with helping me improve in all of the areas of life that really matter.
Now here’s the ask. After reading this article, are you willing to commit to taking one hour per day and shut down every possible interruption, and experience the beauty of taking an hour to do nothing more than just think?
I’m concerned that you may answer that in the same way my group did "Are you nuts? We can’t so that." While our consultant had leverage over us and forced us to promise to try, the only leverage I have over you is the sincerity with which I say to you: “Try it. Just try it. It's a gift that you give to yourself! You really have nothing to lose (I’ve heard all the lame excuses currently being created in your brain) and a whole new way of creating thought processes that work and solutions to the areas most important to your life.” So, c’mon. Try. If it’s not perfect, then tweak and try again. And then do me a favor, once you realize that this one hour per day thing is the greatest thing since sliced bread, contact me and let me know about your successes with this awesome life tool. Remember, I believe in you! GiddyUp!
In addition to being a nationally syndicated columnist, Paul White is an author, motivational and inspirational speaker, entrepreneur, podcaster, and life coach located in Midland, Michigan. He offers self-help and culture development to start your journey towards consistent growth and joy. If you’re interested in getting in touch with Paul, please submit an inquiry via our Contact Page.