How many times do you say, "I wish I had an extra hour"? Once a year, when the clocks roll back for daylight savings we gain that extra hour in our day. What did you do with it?

This year, I decided to be much more proactive about it and use the time in a productive way where the results would be very visible. I decided my 25th hour would be devoted to all of the "back-burner" items that I normally do not get to in the typical day. My 25th hour was for the "want-to-do" list - not the "have-to-do" list.

It was great. I spent my time finishing projects that I have not been able to complete and that bother me every time I am reminded that they are hovering in a state of limbo. The satisfaction of completing them was rewarding and the sense of accomplishment is addictive.

Now that I have experienced what a 25 hour day feels like, I do not want to give it up. My new goal is to capture a 25th hour in every day.

“Now that I have experienced what a 25 hour day feels like,
I do not want to give it up.
My new goal is to capture a 25th hour in every day. ”

My strategy is simple: instead of waiting for a rare 1 hour block of uncommitted time to be available, I am going to find four 15 minute blocks. These are the leftover times between appointments or the gaps between the completion of one task and the start of another. Who doesn't have a few 15 minute gaps?

This method is not rocket science. Numerous time management advisors talk about using small incremental blocks to get work done. Not surprising - there is also an App available for a 25 hour clock to trim a little time from every hour to get more done. The important thing is the conscious effort to MAKE the time available - regardless of the method.

This post is the product of my 25th hour. Tomorrow, there will be another...

What will you do with your 25th hour? Let me know what you did and how you captured your time.