The secret to change is avoid big ideas or drastic new goals that you don’t ever find the time to implement. True change happens when you do one thing over and over again. How can 10 minutes make a difference in a very busy life? When you look at 10 minutes all alone, not much can be accomplished. What if you consider what 10 minutes a day adds up to in a week or a month? You know how money accumulates when you save on a regular and consistent basis. The key to success with saving money is to be consistent in saving so that even a small amount adds up over time. Take that same concept and apply it to how you make changes in your life.
I found that Jeff Olson offers practical insight with this concept in his book: The Slight Edge. “Simple daily disciplines - little productive actions, repeated consistently over time - add up the difference between failure and success.“ The power in making a small consistent change on a daily basis is that you are creating momentum and a habit. If you attempted to find one hour a day for personal development or exercise, it would be easy to fall back on the “I am too busy“ excuse. The 10-minute block of time is manageable. Everyone can find a space for a 10-minute activity. My choices for making a positive change are: 10 minutes of exercise every morning, read 10 minutes for personal development and watch or listen to an educational or inspiring video every day.
The only new action is the 10 minutes of exercise in the morning. This has set me up for the day with feeling awake, energized and ready for any project of the day.
This simple habit reminds me that exercise is an important part of my day. I love to read and frequently read a book over breakfast and lunch. I have always read fiction books at those times. This subtle change to a book that inspires, challenges or adds new information to my brain has made a difference in my workflow.
On days that I do this simple exercise, I find it easier to focus and accomplish my planned activity for the day.
If this is so easy why doesn’t everyone use this idea of 10 minutes to make positive change?
It is easy to do and easy to skip. After all, it is only 10 minutes. Your mind will allow you to discount the impact of just 10 minutes. You do not see immediate results.
What makes this change stick is the confidence that your new habit will improve your life over time. I challenge you to pick one 10-minute activity and repeat it every day for 30 days. Then decide how that change has impacted you.
What will you choose to make your 10 minutes count? Need a guide? Contact me for a strategy session on how to choose the focus of your 10-minute new habit.
