It only took me 15 minutes, so why did I put it off?
It took me 15 minutes to do a task I had been putting off for a week.
Yep. 15 minutes. I probably spent an hour thinking about it, rewriting it on my to-do list, and considering how I could get out of doing it. And it only took me 15 minutes.
I'm not the only one who does this, right?!?
So, why do we (ok, why do I) do this? Reasons abound for why we procrastinate, but it's not because we're lazy. We may be thinking it through, unsure of the next right step, or it's simply not the highest priority right now. In this situation, I was making the task more complex than it really was.
My brain was telling me that I needed to do more research, that it should be 15 slides instead of 5, and that I needed to customize the entire thing. None of this was actually true. I had all I needed, 5 slides were perfect, and the material was solid and didn't need customizing. Ugh! Brains!
15 minutes is plenty of time to accomplish big things.
Now my brain was energized to think about what else I could accomplish in 15 minutes! What other activities could I do to set myself up for success? Here are a few things I polished off last week:
Cleaned off my desktop: Removed everything, busted out my cleaning supplies, and wiped the whole thing down
Sorted my pile of books into To Be Filed, To Be Read, and To Give Away
Spent 10 minutes researching and ordering a plant that is non-toxic to cats so I could add some green to my office
Confirmed all the appointments on my calendar through the end of the year to make sure I am aligned with my commitments prior to the holidays
Sure, in the scheme of things, it doesn't seem like much...but, whew! It feels good to get movement on some small things, which spurred movement on some big things. This got me curious about what activities I could do now to set myself up for success in 2023.
What can you do now to set yourself up for success in 2023?
Yes, I'm an advocate of deep, reflective work (more of that coming in the next email). For today though, let's think about things that can be done in 15-minute bursts of time:
Add your personal time to your calendar: Mark off vacations, spring breaks, etc. -- and add an extra day to recover. This could be an actual day off or at least a blocked calendar when you're not accepting meetings. With school-age kids, this has been a huge help to me so I can have my own catch-up time!
Protect your best time on your calendar: When are you at your best? If it's the morning - block your calendar until 9 or 10 AM. If it's the afternoon -- block your calendar after 3. Every day. Yes, every day. If someone requires your attendance in a meeting, they will ask. Or if they don't ask, you get to consciously choose whether or not to accept the invite. Hey, if you only hold 50% of this time...it's 50% more than what you were holding before!
Review recurring meetings: Take a look at what recurring meetings might not need your attendance any longer, may need a refresh, or better yet, should be canceled.
Spot clean your office: It doesn't all have to be done at once! Sort your books, remove the random post-it notes, blow the dust off your keyboard, buy a better desk light.
Make a list of your January priorities: We've been in "let's circle back in January" mode since before Thanksgiving. Write down the things you are going to come back to (don't just hold them in your head!), the people you will follow up with, the meetings you will schedule.
Freshen up your routine, now: Don't wait for a new year's resolution you won't keep to start something new. Even if it is trying one pilates class for the first time, trying different brands of green juice, or adding a new vitamin - start now!
In the last week, I've done all of these things. It looks like a lot in list format like this, but in reality, I barely noticed the time it took (no more than 15 minutes each!). What I do notice is that I feel more active and engaged. I feel less like I'm catching what's coming at me and more like I'm creating things for me.
I want that for you too.
This is by no means an exhaustive list or a list of best practices (there are plenty of those available), it's simply an encouragement that you can do that thing you've been putting off -- and that it might not be as big of a deal as your brain is making it.
What 15-minute action can you take this week? I'd love to hear about it!