Do you ever wonder at the end of the day where all the time went, what you spent the entire day doing? Do you wish you were able to take back your time, even 30 minutes for something (or someone) that mattered to you?
You may even feel a little ashamed, like you're not owning your life but letting it scroll past in a blur. Even when you have a little time to yourself, you're so tired and overwhelmed that it's tough to know what to do, much less take action on it.
I know exactly how you feel. For years I was just speeding through the day, working full time and raising a family.
I often found myself doing so many different things, at different times, that I would end the day wondering about what I had actually accomplished. How much time had I spent with my family, or on my side hustle? Was I reading enough, and how much time was I scrolling through college football recruiting news (more on that later)?
The question gnawed at me, because I really wanted to know that I was spending my time on the people and projects that mattered. I would get to the end of the day, week, and month then wonder what I had actually done with the precious days I was given. I felt frustrated and upset with my lack of discipline and how I wasn't acting on the goals I set for myself and our family.
Most people estimate they "waste" at least an hour a day on things they mindlessly do. We're not talking about chores or other necessary tasks, but on something that doesn't move people closer to the life they want.
For me, I spent at least an hour a day on college football news and recruiting. As in "which school is this 5 star recruit playing for?" ๐ฌ Can you believe I did that?!
What's deceptive about our wasted time and attention is how bits of minutes add up to a wasted day - or at the very least keep us from being present and accomplishing deep work.
In 2011 I said "Hello World" and started blogging. For 5 years I made little progress, and the biggest culprit was that I didn't pay attention to my actions and where I spent my time - sound familiar?
I said I was a blogger (then a vlogger), but really I was spinning my wheels and wasting time. It may not seem like much in the moment, but let's play out the hour a day mindlessly scrolling through recruiting news [insert your mindless vice here].
Think about what you're giving up - is it a hobby, a business, a relationship, or your health? What could you be doing instead that improves your life with the time you have? Is it worth knowing where that top-rated 10th grade quarterback might be going to college in 2 years? oops that's my vice again
What if you wrote an extra 30 hours each month? Or exercised? Or journaled? Or texted/called 30 people who mattered and you wanted to connect with?
What could you be doing with the time that's slipping by?
Remember the wasted hour each day? What if I could give that back to you? It would be like getting an extra hour each day. What could you do with that time?
With just one extra hour I realized that if I spent that time writing articles, filming videos, or recording podcasts - I would have seen massive gains in just one year (if not sooner). Here's what 365 focused hours equals in one year:
I was giving up 2 months of progress each year by giving in to mindless distraction, a lack of awareness, and poor planning + execution on what I claimed "mattered to me".
It was stunning and I was ashamed all over again. Played out over six years I had willingly given up ONE YEAR of focused effort on building my business.
ONE YEAR!
But this crushing realization that my actions didn't align with my intent is when everything in my life started to change.
I can give that hour back to you. It's the 25th hour in your day that mindlessly slips away while you worry about minor tasks or fill with distraction. It's the hour that can change your life if you make intentional choices about what you do with it.
I took this hour and used it to build my YouTube channel from zero videos and subscribers in February 2017 to 35,000 subscribers and 150 videos in November 2019 on the side. In the same time I grow my email list from 500 (which took me 5 years) to 15,000.
Those results are great for people who only focus on building an audience! But at the same time I was helping ConvertKit grow from 500 to 20,000 customers, raising two young boys with my wife of 12 years, and doubling my income. Oh and I also completed 6 marathons and 4 Spartan Races, in case you think this work comes with major weight gain.
As I started teaching other people about the 25th hour, I (happily) saw I wasn't special - anyone could use the extra hour to improve her or his own life and goals.
You may think at this point you have it figured out! Recapture an hour a day to do something worthwhile. In a sense, that's true - but I think you know it's not that simple. We all have months and years of evidence knowing why we should do something is different than the how and what of doing it. That's where I can help.
In 25 Hour Days I'll show you exactly how to identify the hidden hour and protect it like Alcatraz. Even better, my students often see that hour turn in to two or even three each day.
But that's not all - what good is an extra hour if you don't know what to do with it? That's the problem Emma faced. As a busy corporate coach and teacher, she had too much on her plate and didn't have a clear plan for how each hour aligned with her big goals... until she joined 25 Hour Days:
Before I joined 25 Hour Days I was feeling overwhelmed by all the things I could do then getting frustrated because I wasn't making progress on anything!
Matt helped me create clarity in how my big-picture goals aligned with daily tasks and systems. Learning how to design my environment to support and not hinder my goals was a game-changer!
- Emma Cragg
25 Hour Days gives you a proven framework for planning and executing on your goals over the long term. You'll learn how to break down big goals in to manageable tasks and how implementing effective systems is the engine that powers achievement - not willpower or determination.
There's one more piece of the puzzle. You can be great at identifying and protecting the 25th hour, then excellent at planning and execution... but are you staying focused on the right things?
25 Hour Days shows you how to create routines, rituals, and reviews that keeps you on the right path for the life you want to live. Too many people miss this, head down and grinding towards a "goal" they passed long ago. Or realize they didn't course-correct when opportunities arose and life changed around them. This is a critical phase.
This isn't something you'll do alone either. Throughout the year I host monthly coaching calls for the entire group - these are the same topics and systems I use with my 1-on-1 students and you'll have direct access for questions and feedback.
25 Hour Days is organized into 3 distinct phases to help you build awareness of time available, clarity of goals + purpose, and the focus to execute on a system that leads to achievement.
Phase One: Creating the 25 Hour Day
Everything you need to know about tracking, blocking, and transforming your day so the extra 25th hour becomes a reality. We begin with these lessons because even if you have all the goals and plans in the world - without the time to take action you'll stay stuck.
Phase Two: Taking Action
Now you have an awareness of when the 25th hour "hides" in your daily life. It's time to take action! You'll learn how to set healthy goals, set up the systems and habits that lead to achievement, and build a foundation of consistent long-term progress.
Phase Three: Staying Focused
You know the feeling of making early progress on a goal - it's exciting, you feel accomplished and believe you're becoming a better version of yourself... then distractions, frustration, and resistance set in and all seems lost. Phase three shows you how to take consistent action with daily (p)reviews and how to set up your environment to help make the 25th hour effective and efficient.
What else is included:
Actionable, step-by-step videos and written lessons to help you act on your 25 Hour Day.
Everything is mobile optimized so you can watch or read the content.
Worksheets and downloads to guide you through 25 Hour Days.
The exact prompts and printables I use to measure and make progress on my goals and habits.
Monthly member calls to keep you on track and answer questions.
All built to be easy and fun to go through the content and get the most out of it. Each content type is unique and builds on other lessons.
Stop running out of time and find the extra "hidden" hour in each day.
If you're tired of ending each day with too many leftover tasks, regret over what you actually spent time on, or a bewildered sense of "what just happened?" Friend, you're in the right place!
I don't want another day, week, month, or year going by without you being able to focus on the things you care about.
I don't want you to feel like you don't have any control over your time. I don't want you to awake in a panic, rushing through your morning and reacting to everyone else's agenda.
Progress takes time, there's no changing that. But being a part of a community with a clear purpose and focus can significantly reduce the time and friction of your progress.
Ok friend, now we come to the point of decision. You can continue down the same path for 2021, the path of least resistance, allowing your time, attention, and dreams to be hijacked for the use of others.
This path will probably result in the same kind of outcomes you're used to having. Outcomes that are comfortable and predictable. Sometimes that's good, sometimes it's not. But if 2021 is going to be the year you want something different, if you want to change the path you are on, to set upon the road less traveled...
There are 3 "phases" of The 25 Hour Day, each with three to four video lessons to actively guide you. The course is entirely self-paced but I regularly host members-only calls to help you get unstuck.