It’s all about time management. If we do not manage our time those minutes and hours slip by. Here’s a way to do more, enjoy what you’re doing and reduce stress.
When I was young, I have fond memories of visiting my grandparent’s home. I remember being fascinated with my grandfather as he was creative and always tinkering in his workshop even though he was often working two jobs. When relaxing, he would be smoking his pipe then taking an afternoon nap in his Lazy Boy chair with his parakeet, Cookie nearby.
One afternoon, I asked him “Grandpa, you are always busy. Isn’t this a lot of work?” He replied, “Scott, if you do a little each day it is not work.”
This has become a mantra – of sorts – for my life. I truly believe that if we do a little each day it is not work. This divide and conquer perspective has removed some of the anxiety of being attached to the desire to complete a task by a certain time. I’ve even changed my philosophy from being the one who would wait until close to the deadline to spring into action. If you were one of those who would pull all-nighters and crash study for an exam in college you know what I’m talking about.
What would you like to accomplish?
Or, is there anything which you’ve started that remains unfinished?
How would it feel to begin making progress on those tasks and then see a finished product?
Many of us are great starters, myself included. However, not many of us are great at finishing a project. To complete something brings a wonderful sense of satisfaction.
A challenge that I’ve set for myself is to take 10 minutes each day and dedicate it to one of my unfinished tasks. This has made it fun and I find that once I am focused on the task, I end up enjoying what I am doing so much that I spend more than 10 minutes. The time passes quickly and progress is made each day without the stress and anxiety of reaching the goal. The journey becomes enjoyable.
It feels fantastic to make small, consistent, progress on some of my goals and projects. It also is a great when I am picking up tasks or hobbies that were left long ago. I reconnect with the fun that I had when doing them years ago.
Are you up for a similar challenge? Begin looking around your home to find those immediate tasks which you can start devoting 10 minutes a day to complete.
Let’s put this in perspective as the numbers do not lie…
10 minutes per day x 7 days per week = 70 minutes of time per week.
Say you take the equivalent of 6 weeks off during a year.
That would leave you 46 weeks with 70 minutes of contribution dedicated to your task.
That equals 3,220 minutes or just about 54 hours.
When we break it down and do a little each day what seems to be out of reach soon becomes much more real.
How much can you accomplish in 10 minutes a day?
Photo by Matt Lamers on Unsplash