If you missed it, read Part 1 here, Part 2 here, and Part 3 here.
After last week’s post on how to find more time in your day to devote to focusing on making traction on your goals, some of you might be feeling discouraged as you’re already using your time wisely, you don’t have any big time wasters in your life, you don’t get enough sleep as it is, and you can’t afford to bring on any help.
Don’t panic; there are still ways you can inch toward your goal. In fact, I’m going to teach you a principle that could revolutionize your life. This principle can be applied to any project you want to accomplish or goal you want to achieve. It’s so simple, but it really works!
The 15-Minutes-A-Day Principle
Set aside 15 minutes of each day to work on your goals. No matter how busy your schedule, there is likely something you could give up somewhere to carve out 15 minutes each day.
Make a prioritized list for the things you want to accomplish in the order you hope to accomplish, set the timer for 15 minutes every morning, and begin chipping away at this list until the timer goes off. If possible, do this early in the morning–before breakfast and before your day has gotten off the ground.
While it might seem like 15 minutes isn’t much, investing this time every day on a consistent basis can really start to add up to significant traction made and ground accomplished. 15 minutes a day adds up to 105 minutes (or 1 hour and 45 minutes) each week. 15 minutes a day adds up to almost a full day’s worth of work (7.5 hours) put in over a month’s time. And, if you consistently devote 15 minutes every day to working on your priorities list for a year, you’ll have put in 90 hours!
90 hours of focused work on your goals list will certainly get you somewhere, don’t you think?
Focused Intensity is the Key
If you only have 15 minutes each day to devote to working on your goals list, you need to make sure that you are giving 150% during that short timeframe. I’d recommend setting up an area in your home with all of your needed materials at your fingertips so that you can set the timer and dive in (if you don’t have space to set up a small work area, then at least put together a box or bin with all supplies you’ll need–pen, paper, research materials, etc.).
Turn off all distractions and don’t let anything deter you from your purpose during that 15-minute timeframe. Stick with your 15-minute-per-day commitment and I promise, slowly but surely, you’ll start to see results.
In fact, you might just be amazed at how much work you can accomplish when you work with focused intensity in short amounts each day. Not only does such a short window of time discourage you from dawdling, but you also won’t struggle with running out of steam because your time will be up before you know it!
Recommended Reading on Time Management
How to Have a 48-Hour Day — Lots of practical advice and inspiration for making the most of each day.
168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think — Laura helps you rethink your “I don’t have enough time” excuses and shows you how you just may have quite a bit more time than you realized!
Time Management 101 — My series sharing time management lessons I’ve learned and principles that have increased my own productivity and efficiency. You can download the entire series in a free ebook here.
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