My Favorite Crazy-Simple Productivity Hack!
Note: I wrote this post while I was on Spring Break with my family in sunny Florida last month. As much as I wanted to just lie around and act like a blob that whole week, I knew I would come away from the vacation feeling much more amazing if I took some time to work on my goals. Nothing too crazy… just a couple of things I’ve been wanting to work on but hadn’t had much of an opportunity to do at home.
I’ve been so ready for Spring Break! I would love to just sleep this whole time, but since I have my two little darlings with me, I know sleeping all day long won’t work out. That’s ok, I’m going to relax and get some stuff accomplished at the same time. And I’m going to do it using my favorite new productivity hack!
Here are my simple vacation goals:
- Exercise 5 times this week (actual organized exercise)
- Write content 6 times this week (basically, work on content daily)
- Cook two meals to bless my family
Three simple goals, but so far I’ve actually followed through and worked on them daily. And it feels so good!
My secret of success has become my very favorite productivity hack, especially now being a busy Mommy of two.
I’ve decided it’s unfair to keep this productivity hack a secret, which is why I’m sharing it with you in this post. There may be other Mommies out there who can use it too.
My Secret to Being Productive
All right, lean in! Are you ready for it? My favorite productivity hack is…I work on projects, goals, and tasks 15 minutes at a time.
Poof! That is the sound of your mind being blown! No?!
Ok, I’ll admit, it’s so simple it’s almost laughable. Maybe your mind isn’t blown, but have you actually tried this hack? Because I truly believe it’s changing my life! One 15 minute block at a time.
Here’s the thing. I have a lot of BIG goals I’m working on this year. Staring down those goals can be very intimidating. But working on them 15 minutes at a time? Piece of cake (which is currently baking in the oven, thank you very much).
This very blog post you’re reading? It’s been written during two 15 minutes blocks. The idea of sitting down to write an entire blog post is daunting, but working on it in time chunks is as easy as opening up the app I’m writing in and getting started. Fifteen minutes often flies by so fast I find myself working just a little longer once I hit my flow state.
A few years ago, a friend paid me a high compliment that I’ll remember for a long time. I had just self-published my third book, this one a novel, and when she saw me, she shook her head and smiled. “How in the world do you find the time to raise your baby and write books?”
I spouted off something about how naptime for my baby was my secret weapon, but really when I thought about it, that book, like the previous two was written 15 minutes at a time.
I’ve actually been using this hack for years without knowing that’s exactly what I was doing.
Make It Work for You
If you’re ready to amp up your own productivity, I hope you’ll give this tip a try. Maybe you’re so overwhelmed with tasks you need to get done, you don’t even know where to start. Here’s a simple way to get going:
- Brainstorm a list of items that you need to accomplish. Don’t worry if you think an item will take longer than 15 minutes to accomplish. Just write it down.
- After you’ve made a list, give each item a number based on how long you think it will take to complete it. Start with the items you can get done in the least amount of time and move down the list to the more extensive items. Now you have a comprehensive, ordered list and you’re ready to get started. That is, unless it’s time to be Mommy and take care of your kids! If that’s the case, put your list somewhere visible and know that you can come back to it whenever you have a free pocket of time.
- Keep your list handy to work on it as you have little chunks of time. You’ll be amazed at how much you can accomplish in 15 minutes!
I am seriously so excited to hear how this productivity hack helps you. I dare you to use it today on a task you’ve been putting off. Then, leave me a comment below and tell me what you did for 15 minutes and how you felt after you were done.
Here’s to a more productive life- 15 minutes at a time!
