 |
|
By Sean Alexander
Many years ago, I heard Hyrum Smith (founder of The Franklin Institute, which merged with Covey Leadership to become today's FranklinCovey) describe what, in his family, was called The Magic Hour. He and his wife (he confessed that it was mostly his wife's discipline that made it work) ensured that all of their children--I think there were six of them--were out of bed and sitting at their communal table, working on some project of value to each child between 5:00 and 6:00 each morning. Of course, to set the appropriate example, mom and dad participated, too. Mostly, it didn't matter what each child was working on, as long as the project had value to the child, and as long as the child worked diligently on the project. They accomplished several family goals with this practice: The children learned discipline, family involvement, how to share, the value of work...you get the picture. The parents used The Magic Hour to connect with each other, as well as to connect with their children; to instruct, to coach, to guide, to love. Mr. Smith said he and his wife were often asked how they got their children up at 5:00AM. Their answer was that they put the kids to bed at 8:00PM. Flummoxed, the questioner would invariably ask, "How on earth do you get your kids to bed at 8:00?" "Easy," they would say, "we get them up at 5:00." You have to love the simplicity and harmony in that precious family ritual. What could you do with a Magic Hour each day? You don't even have to have children to do it. And, it doesn't have to be in the morning, although, I would propose that early in the morning is the best of times for it. What could you accomplish with an extra hour every day; 365 hours every year--just over nine 40-hour work weeks? Nine weeks! What kind of children could you raise? What kind of person could you become? What kind of life could you have? Do you believe in magic?
To Your Vital Success, To comment on this article, click here. To subscribe to The Vital Edge, click here. © 2009 Sean Alexander. All Rights Reserved. WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Sean Alexander is President of VitalThought, a boutique consulting company that focuses on the Results-Based Management. His monthly ezine, The Vital Edge, helps executives, project managers and team members discover project and personal success with results-based strategies and tactics. If you're ready to energize your projects and yourself, investigate the possibilities at www.vitalthought.com. 
|
