Having a hard time getting your to do list done? Use these 5 easy tips for how to get more done in 10 minutes or less using a productivity technique called time blocking.
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As a stay-at-home mom, I have learned that if I’m going to get things done, whether it be around the house or in my personal life, I have to work in the small spaces of time between kids’ activities.
Because when your schedule has the propensity to be unpredictable, you know there will always be interruptions and twists coming your way.
And honestly, when you’re crazy busy all day, you don’t always have time to be productive in the same way as other people.
For example, many online entrepreneurs suggest batching your content, meaning write all your blog posts in one sitting, and then all the photos in one sitting, and so on.
Okay, but what about the kids around my ankles? What about feeding them meals, and cultivating relationships with them, and going to appointments? Not to mention the non-scheduled “activities” that show up in our routine, like potty training, or kids getting sick, or sudden trips to the vet, or having to clean up the latest spill in the carpet?
Basically, whether you’re a stay-at-home parent or not, there are always activities that crowd your days. And it can be all too easy to use that as an excuse. “I just don’t have time,” you might say, to follow your dreams or clean the house, or catch up with close friendships, or start an online business, etc.
The list of dreams we set aside is infinite. And so is our list of excuses.
But guess what? (And I’m about to give you some tough love.) You can either have results or excuses. Not both.
That quote by Arnold Schwarzenegger is a favorite in my household. Now, I’ve gotten in the habit of changing my words. Instead of giving an excuse like, “I don’t have time,” I own up to the real reason: “I haven’t made the time.”
Because honestly that’s what it boils down to. If I want something badly enough, I will make the time to get it done.
One of the ways I’ve discovered how to get more done is through the 10 Minute Block.
You might be thinking, “10 minutes? How am I supposed to get ANYTHING done in 10 minutes, let alone a whole stack of things?”
But believe me. You can actually get a lot done in 10-minute blocks.
Curious how to make it happen? Here are 5 tips for how to get more done in 10 minute blocks.
5 tips for how to get more done in 10 minute blocks
Tip #1: Set Up Your Daily Schedule the Night Before
If you want to hit the ground running the next day, then set your schedule up the night before. If you’re home with children or have other commitments that require your day to be flexible, then keep that in mind while scheduling your day.
For example, I’m a stay-at-home mom of twin toddlers. I don’t know from one day to the next what I’ll be doing at, say, 2 pm. The kids might be napping. Or they might have woken up late that morning and won’t be ready for a nap until 3 pm. Or, one might not sleep well, so I’ve got one toddler napping and one hanging out with me.
Nobody can predict that sort of thing. So if that’s how your days operate, then stick to a bare minimum scheduling system + a wish list of to-dos.
Currently, our bare minimum schedule looks like this: I wake up at 5:30 and work until the kids wake up. Then it’s breakfast, followed by playtime, morning nap (when I work), lunch, playtime, and afternoon nap. After that, it’s supper, playtime, and bedtime for the kids. Lastly, I catch some time with my husband before our own bedtime.
At night, I keep my typical day in mind as I map out a to-do list. If you’d like to get more done, I’d suggest that’s how you do it as well and see if it works for you.
Tip #2: Break Your To-Do List Down into 10 Minute Chunks
It’s all good and well to create a to do list, but unless you’re able to cross things off, you might never feel accomplished. Or you might be busy all day trying to accomplish one thing on your list and ultimately feel like you’ve failed at productivity or spun your wheels. Don’t get discouraged when that happens. It just means that the item on your to do list is too big.
Break it down even further–into actions that can be completed within 10 minute blocks. Or until it’s small enough that you’re willing to get it done.
For example, say you need to do laundry. If you just write “Finish Laundry” on your list, it’s going to be too big to finish in 10 minutes. At the very least, your load will need to be washed, dried, maybe ironed, and put away. And if you’re like me, you might have multiple loads that all need to be done. So at the end of the day, you may feel unaccomplished because you only finished a couple of loads from start to finish instead of all of them.
You didn’t get to mark “Finish Laundry” off your list.
A better approach it to break it down into each load. “Do Load #1”, “Do Load #2”, and “Do Load #3” is much easier to accomplish.
However, even that is too much for 10 minutes, right? How about “Wash Load #1”, “Dry Load #1”, “Fold Load #1”, and “Put Away Load #1”?
MUCH easier to handle in 10 minute blocks!
I want to pause here and explain something. If it helps your brain break things down, here’s a tip you can try. It certainly works for me. Make two lists: a primary list and a sub list. If we use the laundry example, your primary list says “Finish Laundry”, among other things. Your sub list includes “Wash Load #1” and so on.
Another tip: I generally also split my to do list up into things I can do when the kids are awake and the things I must do with complete focus (while they’re asleep or I’m away by myself).
Tip #3: Recognize the 10 Minute Blocks in Your Day and Utilize Them
This tip is especially useful for busy moms or people who have unpredictable schedules. Recognizing where you have mini chunks of time and capitalizing on them will help you get more things done.
This is another reason to have a 10-minute to do list made up in advance. To maximize your efforts, you want something at the ready when you suddenly find yourself with a few extra minutes to accomplish something. Otherwise, if you’re like me, you end up spending the entire 10 minutes trying to figure out what you’re going to work on!
Tip #4: Set a Timer
If this technique works for you, then by all means, use it! I often use a timer when I write because it helps me stay on track mentally. When I see those numbers counting down, I know I need to work.
Or, similarly, if I need to clean a room, or send an email, etc., setting a timer encourages me not to spend TOO much time on it. Because if I don’t have that timer going, I tend to slow down and get distracted by the details that ultimately don’t matter. The task will take way longer than it needs to.
Tip #5: Don’t Get Distracted (Unless You Have To!)
If you want to get more done, you can’t let side trails get in the way. Know what I mean? There will always be something that feels urgent, but don’t let the urgent win out over the important each and every time. (However, sometimes being a mom or something like that is an exception. There are definitely moments in your kids’ lives that are worth breaking your 10 minute block for!)
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Finding time is difficult, but you can get more done and make your time work for you, if you use the five techniques I’ve included in this article:
- set up to do list the night before
- break it into 10 minute chunks
- recognize and utilize sudden blocks of time
- use a timer
- don’t let distraction get in the way.
In fact, you just might find you have more time available than you thought!