November 18, 2013

Change Your Life in 10 Minutes

Are there things in your life that could stand improvement but you just don't seem to be getting around to them?
Lego mess

Whether it's one room of your house or your whole life that's a mess, you may have noticed that logic and emotions sometimes disagree on the best approach.

Logic:  "Just get off your ass and DEAL WITH IT and you will feel so much better!"

Emotion: "You're right, logic, that's exactly what I should do! But f--k off willya, I just don't want to!"

There is a a simple trick, that you already know, that is incredibly helpful in fixing this problem.

However... there are tricks to the trick! Which is probably why you are not using it nearly as often as you should.

Note: this post is mainly a reminder to myself, because I forget all the time. Or I remember in some areas of life and blow it off in others.  But feel free to eavesdrop if you could use reminding as well.

The simple trick:  Set aside TEN MINUTES to deal with an unwanted task or activity even if ten minutes isn't enough time to do anything remotely useful. Getting started is 98% of the battle.

The Tricks to the Trick:



1.  Don't sleep on it.


(photo: dgarkauskas)

Do your 10 minutes ASAP, right after you read this post if possible, or later today. You may think that today is a bad day and tomorrow is going to be much better!

It won't be.

Not only will sneaky slithery distractions wriggle in and insert themselves between you and your Ten Minutes, but you will also have forgotten completely about this post by then.

We're talking ten minutes.  Leave the dirty dishes in the sink if you gotta and "forget" to floss, we won't tell anyone.

But what if you aren't ready yet or can't physically tackle The Thing because of practical or logistical issues? Well, that doesn't let you off the hook because...

2.  You don't have to do The Thing yet. Just thinking about The Thing for 10 minutes counts.

During ten minutes of think-time you can do some of these:

a. Figure out how/when/where you're going to take the first step and put it in your calendar.

b. Fantasize about how nice things will be when you have done The Thing. Make it really appealing in your mind, the more insanely detailed the better.

c. Visualize some of the steps you will take and picture yourself actually doing them successfully.

d. Predict possible obstacles to Doing the Thing and plan how you might work around them.

e. Consider writing some stuff down during this ten minutes, even if you never look at it again. It can help keep you focused and make you look a bit less psychotic while staring off into the stratosphere thinking Thing Thoughts.

3.  Make it as Easy as Possible

If you're actually tackling The Thing, start with the smallest, least horrific aspect you can find. It may feel like cheating but you need to build momentum and feel well underway before facing the truly hateful parts.

4.  Lower Your Standards.

Curb your perfectionism. You cannot be perfect at anything in 10 minutes. Beginnings are about embracing all the crapitude you can generate and being proud of yourself for starting.

Remember, taking a thing you have worked on for a long time that is nearly perfect and getting it even more awesome--that's the fun part! You will enjoy it later; at the beginning it just gets in your way.

5.  No, Seriously, Even Lower...

Some tasks you may apply yourself to for 10 minutes and get NOTHING accomplished.


You may be tackling a creative project and come up with no ideas. You may be searching for something and not find it.  You may do something that you end up undoing because it's all wrong.

This is fine.  You get full credit because you are training your brain to get used to starting things that suck.  This is far more important in the long run than any particular Thing that does or does not get done.

6.  Honor the Limit

Are you going to keep going more than 10 minutes?  Probably! Which is excellent news. That's why the trick works so well. Once you get immersed in an odious, scary, or boring activity, often it doesn't suck nearly as much as you thought it would.

But sometimes ten minutes is not magical.  If you feel like you'd rather chop off a toe or make out with Donald Trump than continue?

Donald Trump announcing latest David Blaine feat 3-alt


Then STOP IT!  You need to trust yourself when you say you only have to do 10 minutes. Because, guess what? You will be asking yourself to do 10 minutes again. And again. And again.

7.  Make sure next time happens

As you feel yourself wind down, see if there are things you could do to make it easier to approach the task the next time. For one, you can plan the next go-round, either by figuring out a good time or a situational trigger.

Are there things you need to gather from around the house that you could pre-collect? Or visual cues you can plant that would motivate/remind you? Is there something nifty you could order online in a few minutes that would make The Thing more pleasant and efficient?  Is there someone in your life who might encourage you or even collaborate with you to keep the momentum going?

8. Apply Liberally

The 10 minute trick doesn't work for every situation, alas.  You could use it while planning a wedding, for example, but trying it for the wedding itself?  You may need to hang in there a little longer.


But it's amazing how many healthy lifestyle changes or personal development quests can be attacked more easily by allowing yourself a "10 minutes and then I can bail" approach. And this would be a great place to list a bunch of examples... but I'm WAY over 10 minutes already so see ya later!

Do you folks ever use the Ten Minute trick?

[Unless otherwise noted, photos are via wikipedia and wikimedia commons.]

52 comments:

  1. I have used something similar from time to time. Mostly I list out what I need to do, commonly in the evening for the next day. Sadly, lately I have occasionally forgotten to look at the list.

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    1. Too funny Leah, and sounds exactly like something I'd do too, if I even got as far as making the list in the first place.

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  2. Lowering the standards in terms of time and results it THE trick for me. Perfectionism leads nowhere. Trying to accomplish a little bit works wonders. Thanks for the reminder!

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    1. Seems like you do a great job with issues of balance and priorities HSH!

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  3. I agree about sometimes needing to lower the standards - I have a task that I have put off for almost 2 months and I know that it wouldn't be so bad if I was willing to just get it done (but i want it perfect!). Maybe I will try this method!!!

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    1. Ten minutes, today, Kim--you can do it! Just let yourself suck at it first before worrying about perfection. :)

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    2. I actually referred several people to this post during the past week!!! Such a great concept for everything!!!

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  4. My grandfather always said, "It always seems impossible until its done." (yes, my grandfather is Nelson Mandela).

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    1. Love that Jack, no matter who your grandpa is (or isn't).

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  5. Great post and how timely!!! It's this time of year that - in terms of my regular day job - presents The Thing I Hate To Do But Must Be Done.

    Ironically, I did it this time (v. staying up at night worrying about dire consequences sure to befall me for not having it done already despite good intentions). This is a first for me! I won't have to beg, whine or plead with another party to bail me out by processing something (i.e. cyber line jumping a bunch of other much more responsible folks) outside of the normal cycle time.

    For some reason I had this spurt of getting things done and decided to ride the wave as long as I could. For once, I realize the internet, my personal hobbies and need to socialize could all wait and would still be there to be enjoyed LATER. hmmmm - now there's an interesting concept that harkens back to your earlier post with the kids and delayed gratification.

    EXCEPT - in this instance - the pure joy of having overcome some procrastination and leapt over the hurdle was IMMEDIATE. So, I ended up getting two payoffs!! How great is that?

    Everything you say in this post is spot on especially regards retraining the brain. Thanks for putting this out there at a time of year when I'm guessing MANY folks could use the boost :)!!

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    1. Congrats anon on the massive wave of productivity! Very inspiring. I even find myself procrastinating about hobbies and facebook and socializing so you were way ahead of me before you even got around to being productive. Enjoy your well-earned rewards!

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  6. Last week I tried setting aside 20 minutes each morning for cleaning, and was amazed at how much less I needed to do on the weekend because of this. Can't wait to try this method with other unwanted tasks!

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    1. Excellent Kelly, 20 minutes is twice as awesome as 10!

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  7. I like this lifehack A LOT! I'm going to give it a try. I struggle with focusing for any period of time on anything other than a sport or physical activity. Thanks Crabby :)

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    1. Thanks Joyce... and I should follow my own advice and think about spending 10 minutes a week on twitter, which I seem to have abandoned yet again. It would be ten more minutes than I'm spending now! You do an amazing job there and on Facebook. Sigh.

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  8. You write so well, Crabby!

    I don't think the getting stuck by perfectionism thing applies to me. I tend to go in several directions at once and need to learn to limit my activity and concentrate in the important direction rather than think myself out of action.

    A little off topic, but I recently challenged myself with an out of my comfort zone trip, and it felt wonderful to take that on and succeed. You'll never know until you do it!

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    1. Aw, thanks Dr. J, I especially appreciate the compliment coming from you with your excellent blog.

      I didn't know ANYTHING was out of your comfort zone Dr. J, but its great that you've expanded it even further!

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  9. I do 15 minute jags - and I'm always surprised by how much I get done in those 15 minutes. And yeah, I have to force myself to do this quite often...

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    1. Glad to hear the trick works for you too Shelley!

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  10. This is timely! We had a big wind storm last night and I have one window in my house that is original and a disaster. I kept think that if it broke I would hate to have to invite the handyman into my house right now. You just know those guys all subscribe to Good Housekeeping!

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    1. Ah yes, Im sure your average handyman would be SHOCKED to encounter a less than pristine house Cindy! But housecleaning is a perfect task for the 10 minute approach. Or, in my case, 2 minutes, that's all I can stand...

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  11. You are so right! Actually, that was a big part of how I got back in shape. If I wasn't actually sick enough to stay in bed, I had to get in my workout clothes & spend ten minutes but I got to quit if I wanted to after ten minutes had passed. And you know, I never did stop.

    So I totally love your idea, and agree with it completely, and am doing my best to ignore the fact that I am writing this comment only inches away from a couple of projects I keep postponing...

    Sigh. I guess next month's goals should have nothing to do with riding a bike up a hill, which is what I'll be doing anyhow. Actually, in the spirit of the post, (bigger sigh), I should modify this month's goals. Ok, I'm off to start a couple of annoying tasks.

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    1. DRG, if you actually did go off and get a start on anything odious and want to update, I will give you very enthusiastic acknowledgement of your awesomeness!

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    2. Hmm. I thought I'd answered, but it disappeared somewhere in the ether. Sadly, the answer was no awesomeness here. I did one task, but it sorta had deadlines, and the other is still trying to stare me down. Tonight, really. Tonight. My rationalization is that today was my once-a-decade day to have that nasty little medical test that you get to do every ten years starting when you are 50, so I was eating nothing but clear liquids yesterday, and that makes me beyond cranky. It's done now. Phew. No more excuses. I'm off to spend another ten minutes.

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    3. Oh shoot, DRG, sorry about the comment funkiness... And if you had a kaleidoscope (as my spellchecker prefers to call it), you get a free pass for the day before and the day of! And if you followed up with 10 minutes it does indeed confirm your awesomeness!

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    4. Oh, Crabby, I doubt the comment funkiness had anything to do with your site. I probably got distracted & forgot to publish it. It was that sort of day.

      I love your spellchecker's choice. Maybe if I can remember to think of it as a kaleidoscope ten more years from now it will feel a bit less annoying!

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  12. I like to trick myself into doing things for "just 10 minutes". I always end up cleaning longer, or weeding longer, or whatever it is I didn't want to do in the first place!

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    1. Another 10 minute trick user, yay! glad it works for you too Courtney!

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  13. It's amazing what you can get done in 10 minutes. Not to mention, often once you start, you keep going well passed that.

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    1. Well fat chick, I have to confess I sometimes don't get all that much done in 10 minutes, but I feel virtuous for even trying. :)

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  14. One thing i've learned is that you can do anything for 15 minutes. You can't always do everything IN 15 minutes, but you can tolerate doing it FOR 15 minutes, and you will make a dent in it. Like losing weight, coming back and doing 15 minutes a day may not show progress right away, but then, soon, it will.

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    1. You fifteen and twenty minute types are making me look bad, messymimi! :) But ten is all I can commit too up front or I start avoiding...

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  15. I could spend more than ten minutes trying to choose which Thing I need to do first. All the simple stuff, and all the desperately urgent stuff (like Finding the Dishes) from the move last year has been done. What's left (LOTS) is too complicated or difficult to get done in ten minutes, and I can't think of anything that can be worked on for ten minutes without leaving chaos if it's unfinished. You can't tell yourself (just for example) "Oh, I'll just start changing the thermostat; I don't have to finish it" because that would rapidly become uncomfortable.
    And of course I don't have much more than ten minutes when I'm not either doing essential stuff, or too tired to think. (Like now.)
    Mary Anne in Kentucky

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    1. I think ten minutes choosing a Thing and a time to tackle it in totally counts Mary Anne, though it's too bad none of the Things-in-Waiting are amenable to the 10 minute trick. But maybe 10 minutes planning and 10 minutes executing your "I'm going to be cutting back my hours by X date" speech might buy you more time? (And I know that's WAY easier said than done).

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    2. Thanks for the reminder. I have the impression that I'm going to be cutting back in January, but since tomorrow is a SecondJob day perhaps I should ask for something definite. Unless yet another disaster strikes, of course.

      Mary Anne in Kentucky

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  16. My trick is to reward myself for doing things. For example...yes, Kimberley, you can read that book you are enjoying...but not until you do blah, blah, blah. Kimberley, you want to watch that episode of The Big Bang Theory that is waiting for you on the DVR? Well then, you had better do blah, blah, blah.

    Since I became a student, I haven't seen my dining room table...I may try out the 10 minute trick and see how it goes. As always, thanks for providing timely advice. P.S. I slay me!!!

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    1. Love the reward thing, another simple but powerful strategy Kimberley. Always a great reminder. And it's so much more fun to loaf without guilt!

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  17. I started working out in the mornings (yuck) by using the book Eight Minutes in the Morning. Everyday there was an eight minute workout to do. Then I added stretching, then something else, then cardio, then a longer cardio. Now, I get up 1.5 hours earlier just so I can do my workout! I've been doing that for quite a while. Hmmmm, at least 3 years. I'm not really a morning person, but it's my habit now. I must say that I enjoy being the only one up in the house. It kinda nice. Plus, at 5AM nothing ever seems to come up which supersedes my workout.

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    1. Good for you Bob Ben to have started a whole impressive workout routine based on starting off with an 8 minute commitment! And I agree, I love the early morning hours.

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  18. I love this trick, it's something I've been using for several years but can't remember where I originally learnt it. It works really well for getting rid of those tasks on your "to do" list that just never seem to get done or that you'd rather procrastinate over. The "task then reward" trick works well too.

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  19. How'd you get a photo of my room? Yeah, THAT is the area in which I find I NEED the 10 min. rule, or in my case, 30 minutes. Unfortunately, I stick to it for several days and then drop it, justifying to myself that the tasks I don't mind doing, the ones to which I devote several hours at a time, are an "emergency"! Damn lack of discipline!

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    1. Dlamb, I agree, doesn't cleaning suck!?! But my advice would be do less, not more. Revise the trick down to 3 minutes, not up to 30 and I suspect you will have better luck!

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  20. I love this trick. I use it for things like housework during commercials. (3 minutes) You can start a load of laundry or dust or vacuum an entire room. You’d even be amazed how many dishes you can get done during one commercial break! On really lazy days, I’ve been known to break my treadmill time into 10 (or even 5) minute segments, too.

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    1. Commercial breaks, excellent idea Anon! And I'm a big fan of the Exercise Increment approach too. Saying "just 5 more minutes" or "until the song ends" can often get past the horrible parts and back into the groove. But if it doesn't, I always have permission to bail, and probably use it more often than most health bloggers would!

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  21. It always amazes me when I note to self, that I have completed a block in a quilt that is sewn by hand. I sew by hand, at night, watching tv…well, more like listening to tv. It seems in no time, I will have a major project done! And it is done in spits and spurts…a little bit at a time. Like the saying goes, "How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time."

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    1. Excellent example Sherri! Quilters seem great at multitasking and breaking things down. Though I'm not hanering to eat an elephant anytime soon... wait, do they taste like chicken?

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  22. I am always late to the party BUT I have read & heard about this 10 minute thing. I even do it at times - the prob, not consistent like I am with my fitness/health stuff - OK, back to it! :)

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    1. You are never too late to join us Jody! And yeah, the consistency is a tough one for me too. But any time I think to do it and it works--WIN!

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  23. Dang... but I don't want to vacuum right now.. not even for ten minutes.

    I have actually employed this method in reverse. I use it to not allow myself anything more than ten minutes away from a task that I need to complete. Like no more than ten minutes on the computer when I needed to pack and just wanted a diversion. That mostly/often/sometimes works for me. ;)

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  24. That is an excellent post that everyone should be reading! It feels that the first part regarding not the sleep on it was written just for me haha. Whenever there's something I need to do, I always tend to sleep on it and do it the next day as I think everything will be better then. It never is!

    Thanks for posting!

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  25. I can totally relate to this. Sometimes, there are things that my mind says I can do and can be done fast acutally, but unfortunately my body and emotion don't seem to cooperate.

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