I like step 1 about taking responsibility for your failure to carve out time and step 3 where you were shocked to find you were spending 4 hours scrolling per day. It's like keeping track of expenses only to realize you dropped $38 on donuts last month!
Exactly! It's so similar to tracking your spending, or even starting a food log (how many donuts?!). It's amazing to see how all those empty calories/purchases/scroll-sessions sneak in -- and to realize we're the ones in control of those habits. That can feel like a good thing and a bad thing depending on how motivated we are to change things up.
The bite size tasks... I am right there with you on that. I came up with a term for my 15s. It's called '15 for Growth'. I know that in my available time that if I can work on growth tasks (that will move the needle) for 15 minutes at a time that it will add up exponentially. So, I always create a 15FG list each day. It helps me so much!
Wow this so so brilliant!! 🤯 And now I'm curious - what are some of your favorite or most satisfying types of things to do in those sessions? And how do you keep your to-dos within just 15 minutes? Because I know my move-the-needle tasks always expand into the whole evening if I let them 😅
I admit I can lose focus easily... or if I don't have a plan of action for my passion project work time, I don't focus then I don't get anything done. So, I keep my daily tasks and projects in Asana and I keep them super simplified. I will break my larger tasks down into tiny chunks to avoid overwhelm. For writing an article I chunk it down to research, ideate time, writing time for X number of minutes, editing, SEO... I chunk them all into small time frames. I use Insight Timer and set a timer to some sort of focus sound for my 15s... or for any allotted time I am giving myself. With a clear task set and a focus timer, I will get $h*t done!
Boom! Amazing! That's a great idea to separate out smaller pieces of a writing project into research, ideation, etc. Just goes to show how doable it is to slot creative passions into any sort of schedule as long as you have a little discipline!
I like step 1 about taking responsibility for your failure to carve out time and step 3 where you were shocked to find you were spending 4 hours scrolling per day. It's like keeping track of expenses only to realize you dropped $38 on donuts last month!
Exactly! It's so similar to tracking your spending, or even starting a food log (how many donuts?!). It's amazing to see how all those empty calories/purchases/scroll-sessions sneak in -- and to realize we're the ones in control of those habits. That can feel like a good thing and a bad thing depending on how motivated we are to change things up.
The bite size tasks... I am right there with you on that. I came up with a term for my 15s. It's called '15 for Growth'. I know that in my available time that if I can work on growth tasks (that will move the needle) for 15 minutes at a time that it will add up exponentially. So, I always create a 15FG list each day. It helps me so much!
Wow this so so brilliant!! 🤯 And now I'm curious - what are some of your favorite or most satisfying types of things to do in those sessions? And how do you keep your to-dos within just 15 minutes? Because I know my move-the-needle tasks always expand into the whole evening if I let them 😅
I admit I can lose focus easily... or if I don't have a plan of action for my passion project work time, I don't focus then I don't get anything done. So, I keep my daily tasks and projects in Asana and I keep them super simplified. I will break my larger tasks down into tiny chunks to avoid overwhelm. For writing an article I chunk it down to research, ideate time, writing time for X number of minutes, editing, SEO... I chunk them all into small time frames. I use Insight Timer and set a timer to some sort of focus sound for my 15s... or for any allotted time I am giving myself. With a clear task set and a focus timer, I will get $h*t done!
Boom! Amazing! That's a great idea to separate out smaller pieces of a writing project into research, ideation, etc. Just goes to show how doable it is to slot creative passions into any sort of schedule as long as you have a little discipline!
Yes Jess - it is doable! I go into overwhelm if I don’t break it down into small tasks.