The Benefits Of Scheduling A Daily ‘Power Hour’

We’ve all heard that there are benefits of having a solid morning routine, but it’s easy to slack off after a week or two into the new year when our resolutions start to fade as our motivation leads the way down the tubes.

Podcaster Adrienne Herbert wants us to realize that the Power Hour – that first thing everyday routine – is more important for achieving long-term success than we give it credit.

According to Herbert, the Power Hour is “all about reclaiming some of your time in the first hour of your day before the rest of the world needs your love, attention and energy. Being constantly connected can make it hard to own your own time. Use the power hour to do something that’s intentional – it can be anything you want, something that you don’t usually have time for or something that will set you up for the rest of the day.”

Herbert isn’t the only one suggesting we each implement a power hour into our day every single day. Many other successful folks of all backgrounds have reported their successes are largely due to their morning self-care routines.

These routines – these daily moments are taken for self – make all the difference because they:

• Orient your day
• Affirm your self-worth
• Allow for self-repair
• Put your fitness and wellbeing long enough to make a difference
• Facilitate productivity
• Help you prepare for success every single day
• Beat procrastination

If all that sounds wonderful and life-affirming, especially in these uncertain times of vaccines, stimulus checks that might take months to come, or job loss potential looming on your horizon, there are some powerful things you can do to create that morning routine – that power hour for your best self.

1. Start Off Slow

It might seem counterintuitive but starting off your power hour as something more like a power half-hour is probably going to give you more success as you build this incredible time into your day. Herbert says that she started with just a half-hour each morning, getting up 30 minutes earlier than before to start training for her first London Marathon.

The other alternative is doing a Power Hour once a week, instead of every day, and easing your lifestyle and schedule into the idea. Just be sure to let your partner, kids, or housemates know that you are unreachable during that time.

2. Turn Off Your Devices

An important aspect of the Power Hour is unplugging from social media, email, and other demands of life, whether good or bad. This hour is about you doing what you need to for some breathing room and time to focus on yourself.

3. Pick Your Best Time Of Day

Though I’ve mentioned mornings up to this point, the reality is that whatever your peak hour is will be your best time to do this Power Hour for yourself. If you’re a night owl, that might mean midnight is your peak time for success. If that’s the case, schedule your Power Hour at midnight.

4. Choose Activities That Motivate And Encourage You

If you’re a runner who struggles to find the time to get in a jog, then your Power Hour is going to probably include that run. If you’re a distant runner, that might be all you get in for the hour, but that’s okay. It’s your hour. Use it how you like.

Other things that might be beneficial to do include:

• Read a book that pushes you toward success
• Journaling out your thoughts, meditations, and prayers
• Yoga practice
• Listen to music that moves and inspires you
• Other workout options like weight training, kickboxing, or cycling
• Practice a musical instrument
• Learn a language
• Drink a cup of coffee or tea and visualize your best self

Whatever activities will most inspire, encourage, and fulfill you are the things you should be doing during your Power Hour. The key, though, is being completely off-limits to others. Don’t let folks interrupt your time with minor emergencies, phone calls, texts, social media, email, or anything else that takes attention away from you doing the best thing possible to care for yourself.