Productivity Hacks: The 1-Minute Trick


This post is part of a series in which LinkedIn Influencers share their secrets to being more productive.See all their #productivityhacks here.

I discovered an incredibly easy, effective hack—but it must be followed consistently if I want to see results.

It’s very simple: Do, without delay, any task that can be finished in one minute. Hang up my coat, read a letter and toss it, fill in a form, answer an email, note down a citation, pick up my phone messages, file a paper, put the magazines away…and so on.

Because the tasks are so quick, it isn’t too hard to make myself follow the rule—but it has big results. Keeping all those small, nagging tasks under control makes me more serene, less overwhelmed.

It's a Secret of Adulthood: For most people, outer order contributes to inner calm. More than it should.

Many people have made a point of telling me how helpful they've found the one-minute rule. One friend told me that her apartment went from being a wreck to being quite tidy, without much effort. Another friend said that his productivity had shot up; because he got so many little things got done quickly, he had much more time for the bigger tasks.

One nice thing about the “one-minute rule” is that I don’t have to think about priorities. When I stop to think, “Should I tackle my desk or pay bills?” or “Should I answer emails or run my computer back-up program?” I sometimes end up feeling that whatever I’m doing is the wrong thing.

But with the “one-minute rule,” I do anything that presents itself, right away, as long as I can do it in a minute.

A bunch of trivial tasks, not intimidating when viewed singly, can easily mount up and seem overwhelming. By eliminating them as they crop up, I make myself feel freer, more energetic, and more creative. In less than a minute. (If you want tips to beat clutter in less than five minutes, look here.)

Why does making my bed make me feel like I can start a new chapter of my habits book, Before and After? It's not logical, but it's helpful.

Does crossing off those little tasks make you feel better able to face bigger tasks? A friend once told me, "I cleaned out my fridge, and now I know I can switch careers."

To read more about the one-minute rule, check out The Happiness Project, chapter one.

--Need a good book to read or gift idea? The paperback of Happier at Home is now available for pre-order. If you’re thinking, “I’m intrigued! But Gretchen, how can I learn more about Happier at Home?” you’re in luck. You can…

  • Read an excerpt from the chapter on “Time”
  • Listen to a clip from the audio-book
  • Watch the one-minute video trailer on “Ten ways to be happier at home”
  • Watch the Behind-the-Scenes video (spoiler alert, I reveal the book’s secret motif there)
  • Sign up for personalized, signed bookplates for you or or friends, (U.S. and Canada only, sorry)

Photo: Garsya / shutterstock

Simon Berglund

Managing Director | Chief Revenue Officer | SaaS | Sales | Customer Success | Partner Channels | B2B | AI | GRC | ERP | ESG | HCM |

8 å¹´

Expanding on your mention of productivity, I read a great article by Kevin Kruse recently, wherein he summarises the Productivity Practices of ultra-productive people including 7 billionaires, 13 Olympians, 20 straight-A students and over 200 successful entrepreneurs. He asked a single, open-ended question, “What is your number one secret to productivity?” See more here... https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/productivity-secrets-successful-people-simon-berglund

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Cardwell Thaxton

Owner at The Cardwell Thaxton Group

10 å¹´

I like it. I'm going to put this on my "TO DO" list.

Christopher P. David

Engineering Technician at Anderson Power Products

11 å¹´

This rule applies to everything! Now to attack my disorganized garage! LOL

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Oluwaseyi Oyeneyin

Senior Administrative Assistant

11 å¹´

I will adopt this 1-minute trick seeing it can do wonders to both my work and home life.

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Sandra Bernice knott

Ms. at Retired . Now discovering life to the full

11 å¹´

You have made me feel like a different person to the one I thought I was 1 min ago. Like most writers, I lead a very busy life and because I only have a few moments to catch up on menial chores, I felt guilty for applying my self to the things I love most. But now, after reading your blog, I realise I′m normal ( well almost) Now,....Beds made, washing up out of the way, washings on the line, and I've added my comments on your blog. Now I can take the rest of the morning n dedicating myself to the most important task of the day. Letting everyone out there know that, my latest book, "Planet of Dreams." Is free to down from the 1st Feb - 7th Feb. on Kindle ebook. P.O.D. is also available. If anyone can give just 1 min of their time to read a small part of it, I love to hear your reaction. My I min is up. Take care.

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