Have you ever had one of those days where you just can’t get going? Suddenly, it’s 3 p.m., and you realize you haven’t accomplished anything you set out to do that day?
Oftentimes, this is just a matter of being physically and mentally fatigued, overloaded, or building up a particular goal or task into a monumental challenge that feels impossible to tackle. Naturally, any one of these situations are total productivity killers. So how do you overcome it?
Well, first diagnose if it is fatigue. If so, it may be worth it to take a quick nap or do something to mentally recharge. If it’s overwhelm, one work-around to apply the two-minute rule. You may be familiar with this approach from the book Getting Things Done, in which author David Allen suggests this: If a task takes less than two minutes to do, just get it done immediately rather than letting all those little tasks build up.
If you apply this to your work, goals, or in forming new habits, it can be very powerful. Of course, most larger tasks, goals, and habit formations cannot be accomplished in two-minutes, but what is the toughest part of these? Typically, the toughest part is just getting started. So just break off the first two minutes.
Once you get going, it’s easier to continue doing it.
Do you need to write a blog post or article? Give yourself two minutes to write just one sentence. Need to create a marketing campaign? Give yourself two minutes to simply brainstorm what could go in that campaign.
Two minutes can have a massive impact on your productivity.
