10 tasks that take 10 minutes that will save you HOURS
Finding yourself with that awkward extra ten minutes and don't know what to do? Here are ten productive things you could do instead of scrolling through social media.
1. CREATE / REFINE YOUR TO DO LIST
If you don't have a To Do list... get one! If you already have one - nice work! Here are a few ways you can refine it:
If you have to do's written all over the place (your phone, sticky notes, etc), consolidate them.
Break those big projects down into smaller tasks (bonus if they are TEN MINUTE tasks).
Prioritize.
Schedule items to your calendar that need to be done on a certain day.
2. TRACK YOUR TIME
Tracking your time may seem like a hassle, but it takes less time than you think. Try 15 minute, 30 minute, or hourly chunks. I guarantee you will find "dead time" in your schedule. My first time doing this, I realized that most of my tasks in the morning took about ten minutes to complete, but I was spending 20 minutes taking "breaks" on Youtube - whoops.
3. GO THROUGH YOUR INBOX
Decide which newsletters are actually useful to you and which ones you never read. Then - unsubscribe, unsubscribe, unsubscribe. Be fearless, bold, and daring. Get that clutter out of there!
4. TAKE AN INTENTIONAL BREAK
This one is my favorite. Take a walk, talk to a coworker, pet your dog, or make a cup of tea and enjoy it. If you have twenty minutes rather than ten, get crazy and take a nap! You know those days you work through lunch and skip all breaks so you can power through? And then around 2pm you find yourself suddenly zoning out, rereading the same sentence over and over, and then giving up to mindlessly scroll through Facebook? You know exactly what I'm talking about - your brain will take its break no matter what. Make it a refreshing one.
5. MEDITATION
Yes, this technically counts as an intentional break - but meditation is so important I think it deserves its own category. The science is in: meditation is good for your focus, productivity, emotional state, etc, etc, etc, etc. It literally changes the chemistry of your brain and it feels so so good. If you are brand new to meditation, downloaded a guided meditation app like Calm, Insight Timer, or (my favorite) Headspace. Your brain grinds away for you all day, give it a rest!
6. TIDY A JUNK DRAWER
Poor, neglected, junk drawers. You will be amazed what useful stuff you will find in there. Save yourself some time on trying to remember if you have any AAA batteries or where the tape is when you need it.
7. SHORT, INSPIRATIONAL PODCAST
This one is a bonus because you can listen while cleaning! Here are two of my favorite shorties are:
8. MEAL PLAN
*Disclaimer* This will probably take much longer than ten minutes at first. With practice, it will take ten minutes max.
Here is how I do it: On Friday I decide which of my go-to meals I want to cook next week. I then throw the ingredients I don't already have onto my grocery list. I stop by the store on my way home from the gym Sunday morning and then I cook my meals for the week Sunday night.
9. PLANNING YOUR DAY / WEEK
Take ten minutes to look at your calendar. Do you have everything you need for tomorrow? Is there a gap in your schedule where you can fit in that errand you keep putting off?
10. GET SUPPORT!
Feel like you are doing everything you can to stay on top of things, but are still missing the mark? Don't beat yourself up! You are using your amazing talents day in and day out to do incredible things. If getting and staying organized isn't one of your strengths, its okay to call in a professional, such as a coach or assistant.