One Hour per Day

Two young men graduated from college together 20 years ago. Both men came from similar backgrounds, had similar intellects, and similar skills.

Twenty years later, one of those men had progressed to be a mid-level manager in his company, while the other became the company’s CEO.

While this particular story is fictitious, it does prompt the following question…

Why do otherwise similarly talented people diverge in their career performances over time?

Why is it that many people are smarter than their bosses, yet still working for them?

I submit that the difference comes down to how we spend one hour per day.

Most everything I’ve ever accomplished in my life initially started by devoting one hour per day to an activity other people were not doing.

Sometimes it was reading a book. Other times it was making an extra phone call to connect with someone. Sometimes it would be meeting a new contact for coffee.

When I made these “one hour per day” decisions, it was an investment based on a simple premise:

If you want average results, do the things that most people do.

If you want exceptional results, do the things that most people aren’t willing to do.

Follow this simple idea for one hour per day, and over time it adds up.

Want to change your physique? One hour per day.

Want to change careers? One hour per day.

Want to learn a new career skill? One hour per day.

Want to grow your network of relationships? One hour per day.

Want a better marriage? One hour per day.

Want that promotion? One hour per day.

The vast majority of things in life can be accomplished by being very deliberate in how you invest your time…

… one hour per day.