Indgvar Kamprad, Founder of IKEA, was interviewed in the October 2017 edition ot Men’s Health magazine. He said "You can do so much in ten minutes’ time. Ten minutes, once gone, are gone for good. Divide your life into 10 -minute units, and sacrifice as few of them as possible in meaningless activity."
I’m a big believer in breaking down large tasks into smaller segments, but the way the quote was phrased was a bit of a light bulb moment for me! I immediately grabbed a post-it note and wrote 4 things I have been putting off. I accomplished those things that evening. At this point, I should note that I was on a streak of never missing a night of Wheel of Fortune and that I had watched every episode of Ted Lasso. I could have folded laundry while watching Wheel, and I could have organized music while watching Ted. Reality was, by the time evening rolled around, I completely forgot about these tasks.
I think we all need to plan for the important things first in our day. Yet in our day, there are so many things that still need to happen (take out the garbage, delete/respond to email, fold the laundry, pull weeds, organize your digital files, pay bills). Even though these smaller tasks might not be as important as other things, they are still things that need accomplished. So, I’ve been making a list of smaller tasks that I want to do and that should take 10 minutes. I think Kamprad was kind of brilliant!
Some people have these smaller tasks embedded into their day as habits and routines. That’s great. This process is for those of us who don’t or who are establishing new habits. It can also be useful for out of the ordinary tasks/projects.
Even in the busiest of schedules, most people can spare 10 minutes to get stuff done. Here are examples of practical and productive activities you can accomplish in just 10 minutes. From self-care to learning opportunities to handling annoying tasks, short bursts of time can make a significant impact on your overall well-being and your ability to get stuff done. Let's dive in!
Engage in a mini-workout
Boost your mind with micro-Learning
Practice self-care and mindfulness
Unload the dishwasher
Pay bills
Fold laundry
Clean off your desk
Edit an article
Create an online grocery list order
Pull weeds
Need more ideas? I have a series of activities that I posted as part of a challenge I created and called 2-Minute Tuesday Anti-Procrastination challenges.
No matter how limited your schedule may be, finding 10 minutes is an achievable goal. From a quick workout to expand your knowledge, or to simply practice self-care, these 10 minute tasks and activities can have a significant impact on your own growth and success. So, start making the most of those precious minutes and embrace a more fulfilling and impactful life.