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How to be Successful In Six Hours

How to be Successful in Six Hours

How to be Successful in Six Hours

“Cut the day into three clear parts and you turn a long race into a series of short wins.” - Chris Farmer, Lead Trainer, Corporate Coach Group

Success is not an event; it is a process. You will succeed step by step.

The steps are six-hour segments of time.

Each day is divided into 24 hours, and you sleep though many of those.

We can divide the rest of the day into three sessions of six hours duration or less:

  • 7am until 1pm
  • 1pm until 7pm
  • 7pm until bedtime.

To be successful ensure that you act successfully for only six-hours:

  • Keep to your diet for six hours. (Tell yourself that you can easily stick to a diet for six hours).
  • Keep to your training plan for six hours.
  • Resolve not to lose your temper for six hours.
  • Do your best work for six hours.
  • Say only nice things to your loved ones for six hours.

At the end of six hours, congratulate yourself for being successful for six hours.

Then, have something to eat, and think about repeating your successful performance for another six hours.

Imagine that each six-hour period of wakeful activity is a square in a grid. Then to be successful, all you have to do is to tick-off the six-hour squares as "successfully completed".

Personal Effectiveness : How to be Successful in Six Hours

This approach is used by artists to break a difficult drawing into a series of easy steps.

I'm no natural-born artist, but can I draw, if I break it down into easy steps:

Personal Effectiveness : How to be Successful in Six Hours

When you view success as being composed of many smaller, easier segments, it seems more achievable.

I use this method to lose weight. I call it the 717 diet.

I eat every six hours, at 7am, 1pm and 7pm. I don't eat between meals.

I figure that I cannot starve to death in six hours.

But I can lose weight in six hours, if only by a tiny amount. And many tiny amounts add-up to a lot, over time.

I have been on my 717 diet for a year and have lost 16lbs of fat, without even noticing.

You can be successful at anything if you break it down into smaller steps and spend your time, six hours at a time, achieving the goals, step by step.

Try it for yourself.

Definition: Six Hour Success method

The Six Hour Success method is a personal effectiveness tool that splits the waking day into three six-hour blocks. In each block you pick one main goal and give it full focus, telling yourself you only need to succeed for six hours. You celebrate at the end of the block and then restart, turning big goals into repeated short wins.

Show CG4D Definition
Context: Personal effectiveness
Genus: method
Differentia:
  • Divides waking hours into fixed six-hour segments
  • Requires choosing a single clear aim for each segment
  • Demands focused action only within the current segment
  • Uses end-segment review and reward before starting the next segment

Article Summary

Break your day into three six-hour blocks, act on one clear aim in each, and you turn a long struggle into a chain of quick wins; string the wins together and lasting success, weight loss or habit change follows almost by itself.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Did You Know: Key Statistics

A 2023 review in Nutrients found that adults who followed a 6–10 hour time-restricted eating window lost an average of 4% of their body weight within 12 weeks. The 2024 Asana Anatomy of Work report shows that employees who block their diary into focused sessions finish tasks 20% faster and report 33% less burnout than those who do not.

About the Author: Chris Farmer

Chris

Chris Farmer is the founder of the Corporate Coach Group and has many years' experience in training leaders and managers, in both the public and private sectors, to achieve their organisational goals, especially during tough economic times. He is also well aware of the disciplines and problems associated with running a business.

Over the years, Chris has designed and delivered thousands of training programmes and has coached and motivated many management teams, groups and individuals. His training programmes are both structured and clear, designed to help delegates organise their thinking and, wherever necessary, to improve their techniques and skills.

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Further Reading in Personal Effectiveness

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