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