Two Awesome Hours
You may think that, just by the title, you would have no need to read this book.
Simply spend two hours a day being highly productive.
But oh! What this book reveals is so much more than just that!
I’m one of those people who has lots of interests. Lots! I’ve always had a great interest in productivity and time management, mainly because I’ve always thought I was so bad at both. And anything that has the backing of science holds great interest for me.
So when I read the book, Two Awesome Hours by Josh Davis, I was very much intrigued by the facts and research that backs up the advice given in this book.
The premise is — as you may have guessed — that if you can have just two hours a day where you are highly focused and highly productive that you’ll be able to transform your life and work so that you ultimately have more time “off” or to do whatever else you want to do.
But it isn’t a matter of just working productively for two (or three or four) hours a day, it is also how you make the decisions about not just what you are going to do for those hours but when you are going to do them.
If you’re like me, you probably have this constant feeling of overwhelm with work and life demands, finding yourself rushing around, multitasking, and/or relying on fancy tools, devices and apps that promise to help but really don’t.
It’s as simple (and as challenging) as creating the conditions so that you can have those two awesome hours (or more) of peak productivity every working day.
Author Josh Davis, who is director of research at the NeuroLeadership Institute, explains clearly that our brains and bodies operate according to complex biological needs that, if we were to just leverage them intelligently, can make us incredibly effective. From what and when we eat, to when we tackle tasks or disengage from them.
How you plan your activities — and when you choose to execute them — has a huge impact on your performance.
The author shows you how to create the conditions for having two awesome hours of effective mental performance by:
- Recognizing when and how to effectively flip the switch on your automatic thinking. So much that we do, of course, is done without ever really thinking about what we have to do or how we will go about doing it.
- Scheduling tasks based on their “processing demand” and recovery time. For example, teaching a class takes so much out of me that I have to build in recovery time before I attempt to do anything else. At least anything of consequence. And what I am doing just before a class is just as important!
- Rather than figuring out ways to avoid distractions, he teaches you, instead, how to direct your attention.
- Feeding and moving our bodies in ways that prepare us for success. Rather than think of how you are eating for the whole day, you may need to pay closer attention to what you are eating or drinking just before or during the times that you want to be most productive. (Interesting science here.)
- Showing us how important the condition of our workspace is to being at the top of our mental game. (Take a look around you. What does your office and desk space look like?)
But, here’s the thing about books on productivity and time management: if you don’t know where you’re going or what you want to do — something that has plagued me for the last 10 or 12 years — then no matter how much you learn or implement regarding productivity, you still won’t get very far.
So (as I point my finger at you, know there are three pointing back at me) if you are not clear about your mission and what you want to be accomplishing in your business and your life, at the end of the day, you’re still going to be unhappy with what you did or did not accomplish.
Maybe both you and I need to use those two awesome hours, in the beginning, to work on getting really clear about the direction we’re going in.
Having said all that, however, I believe that this book on productivity may be the only book you’ll ever need to read about getting more from your day and feeling good about it.
It’s a fast read and “friendly,” presented in a way that makes you feel as though you’re sitting down and having a conversation with a trusted mentor.
We are truly capable of impressive feats of comprehension, motivation, thinking, and performance when our brain and biological systems are functioning optimally.
Two Awesome Hours will show you how to be your most productive every day.
Enjoy! And after you read it, and put the ideas presented into action, send me an email and let me know how this has helped you.
You can buy the book through Amazon here: Paperback. Kindle.
Publisher of Great Living Today, your one-stop source for greater living featuring tips, techniques, and programs in the areas of health & wellness, wealth, time management, business, love, relationships, and happiness. Marty is a life, business, and wellness coach helping his clients to live their best lives.