The 10-minute rule for procrastination

We all experience procrastination.

This is especially true if you’re working on a personal project. The motivation is there in abundance, you know what you need to do, but powering forward evades you.

Enter the 10-minute rule: a way to trick you into starting any task!

Here’s how it works:

1. Identify the task you need to start doing
2. Tell yourself to spend only 10-minutes on the task
3. Go and do the task with a renewed sense of ease
4. After 10-minutes consider whether you want to continue or not

I’ve tested this many times. The 10-minute rule tricks you into carrying on further with the task.

The lazy part of your brain realises “Oh, this is actually quite fun” or “This actually isn’t too bad”.

To quote the great stoic Seneca “We suffer more often in imagination than in reality.”

Lower the barrier of entry by tricking yourself, then see where you end up.

What’s 10-minutes anyway?

p.s. I wrote this in 9 minutes ??