90-Minutes in the Fire

For most of us, multitasking has become second nature. Racing to get too many things done at once may seem more productive, but forcing our brain to switch back and forth between several tasks can possibly affect the quality of our work. Of course, there are times when juggling a few responsibilities simultaneously may be necessary---more often times than not--- but there are times when we need to just hone in on the task at hand.

Author, Speaker, and Coach, Michael J. Maher, knows the importance of single-tasking. “Time blocking involves scheduling time for focused effort on one topic,” he said. As an entrepreneur, you have the freedom to schedule time to focus on whatever one topic you want whenever you want. If you want to block time to spend an hour on the certified WISE home system or maybe meet with clients, go right ahead. You’re in complete control.

More importantly, there are certain projects or goals that may require more than an hour of your focus. This is where things get a little hot. Maher talked about what he calls FIRE sessions, which is a session that involves really intense, laser-sharp focus for at least an hour and a half straight. He points out, “I think way too many people go through life and never get to experience the level of intelligence, power and amazement that comes with 90 minutes of focused effort on one topic.”

(F): Having already done your information gathering, focus only on one specific topic relating to your vision, career goals or product launch. “When my entire focus was bringing the vision of Referrals Magazine to fruition. I had done the research, grabbed a bunch of magazines like Oprah, Success, Cosmopolitan, and scheduled a 90-minute FIRE session.”

(I): Here is where you deeply immerse yourself 100 percent on your topic. And nothing or no one is allowed, including your phone, dog, tablet or BFF. Disclaimer, though: within the first 10 minutes, you may become fidgety, antsy, or maybe a little stir crazy, but push through! “About 20 minutes in, you will experience something you may have never felt before. It is an intelligence, a part of your brain you never tapped into. It is a power that comes only with focused immersion onto the subject at hand.”

(R): The last 15 minutes of your session, take a 10-minute walk without your phone or anything else. “What’s going to happen is your brain is going to relax and you’re going to get two, maybe three more great ideas for your topic.” For example, after walking during one of his FIRE sessions, Maher came up with the idea to put ordinary people who do extraordinary things---instead of celebrities--- on the front cover of Referrals Magazine.

(E): “Look back and reflect on what you’ve done, then schedule with yourself a time to revisit this and see what changes need to be made.” You can choose to revisit in a few weeks, 30 days or at the soonest possible.

“The beauty of time blocking in general and the FIRE sessions specifically is that it frees your mind. You don’t have to say, ‘I should be doing this or that.’ We got to quit shoulding all over ourselves . . . life’s bigger than that, so just schedule in the shoulds then you don’t have to think about the shoulds.”

TAKE ACTION:

For your assignment, schedule 1 hour to work on your business tomorrow (do not work in it but work on it). Then schedule a 90-minute FIRE session for next Friday. Be sure to focus on one topic, immerse yourself, do the recuperation walk, and then evaluate.

By: O'Beria Seats