Do Something! Take the 15 minute challenge

What can you do with 15 minutes? You might be surprised. Take the 15 minute challenge: try one of the techniques below to get organized and stop procrastinating today.

15 minute pick-up
Before you leave the office at the end of the week, take 15 minutes to do a quick pick up of your office – move out files or paperwork that doesn’t belong, get rid of any unnecessary mail or junk flyers, etc. Clear out the most important real estate in your office - your desk.

Take a few minutes to review your calendar and tasks for the following week, and make a plan. Figure out the most important tasks that you need to accomplish and schedule them on your calendar.

When you use the 15 minute pick up, Monday mornings will be much easier. You’ll arrive to a neat, organized office and a plan. Instead of spending precious time figuring out where you left off and what you have to do, you can get right down to work.

15 minute procrastination buster Part 1
Are you a procrastinator? Do you spend more time worrying about what to do first than actually being productive? If you’ve got things to do but you just can’t seem to get to them, use the 15 minute trick. You can stand almost anything for 15 minutes.

• Step 1: Choose a task you’ve been avoiding.
• Step 2: Commit to working on that task and nothing else for the next 15 minutes. Allow no interruptions – no phone calls, no checking email, no daydreaming, no surfing the Internet, no interruptions of any kind. PERIOD.
• Step 3: Set a timer for 15 minutes and work on your task until the timer goes off.
• Step 4: When the timer goes off, feel free to move on to something else.

You might be pleasantly surprised – that task might not be as bad as you think. And sometimes just getting started creates enough momentum for you to finish the task and get it over with.

15 minute procrastination buster Part 2
For a variation on the technique above, try this:

• Step 1: Choose a task you’ve been avoiding
• Step 2: Get a physical reminder of the task and place it in front of you (For example, if you need to make a phone call, get the materials you’ll need for the call and the phone number. If you need to review your bills, get the bills and put them on your desk, etc.)
• Step 3: Commit to eliminating all interruptions for the next 15 minutes. No exceptions.
• Step 4: Set a timer for 15 minutes and simply stare at the physical reminder of the task until the timer goes off. You do not have to commit to working on the task – you only have to commit to staring at it and doing nothing else during that time.
• Step 5: When the timer goes off, feel free to do whatever you want.

Even though you haven’t committed to working on the task, forcing yourself to stare at it for 15 minutes will likely drive you so nuts that you’ll get started just so you have something to do.

To learn more ways to increase your productivity and effectiveness, subscribe to my e-newsletter, the Lawyer Meltdown Newsletter, or contact me for a consultation.