The First 2 Hours

Chapter 6 Third 2 hours Active

Unless your workplace encourages siestas, then this time of day, after lunch, is at risk of being a complete waste. Despite the fact that we say it’s for our low-intensity and low-impact work, it’s still time for work, not milling around the office cooler.

While you could argue that this time of day is the least valuable, it is still time that we need to make the best use of.

Sometimes the lethargy of this time of day is hypnotic. Before you know it, you’ve lost time fiddling around, trying to write an email, or reading the same stuff over and over again before realising nothing is of value. That’s why it’s super important to get smart about what this time is best used for. Figure 6.1 (overleaf) lists some of the best tasks for this time of day.

Figure 6.1: your third 2 hours

Just as we should be purposeful about maximising our most valuable time, we can also leverage what could be described as our least valuable time.

Leverage, don’t lose it

Now is a great time to do the things you’ve been putting off for ages! Our attention is low, but our ability to repeat tasks is high, so think filing, organising or anything that you’d consider ‘boring’. This is the time of day that is perfect for this.

Just because things are routine or mundane doesn’t make them unimportant!

Call it your ‘quiet time’ or ‘down time’ if you will. Give your brain a break. ...