Hi,
The email that needs a quick reply. The bill that needs paying. The remote that needs new batteries. The screw that needs replacing.
None of these are hard. Each one takes two or three minutes. And yet they sit for weeks, sometimes months, quietly taking up room in our heads.
Early in my career, someone gave me a piece of advice that I still think about: if it takes less than five minutes, do it now.
What I've noticed since is that it's rarely the task itself that's the problem. It's the getting started. And every undone thing is one more tab open in the background of your mind.
So what if you picked just one five-minute task a day? By Friday, that's five things off your plate and five fewer things your brain has to keep track of.
The next time you walk past that form that needs signing and hear yourself say, "I'll do it when I have more time," try this instead: take one minute. Read it, sign it, put it where it belongs. Then notice how much lighter that feels.
PS - This Friday, I'm moderating a panel at Wilfrid Laurier University called "Living the 'Good' Life: Meaning, Joy, and What Matters." I'll be joined by Dr. Kathy Behrendt and Dr. Judy Eaton, both professors at WLU, for a conversation about how we can live meaningful, joyful lives. You can learn more here. I'd love to see you there!
Warmly,
Erin