June 30 Days Writing Challenge - Life Hacks - Day Two: The "2 Minutes" Time Management Rule
Hello and welcome to the second day of the June 30 days writing challenge. If you want to know all the details about this specific challenge, have a look at the introductory post. In short, I will be posting every day a short tip, or technique, or opinion, something that you can call a "life hack". Feel free to join the challenge and post your own life hacks. I will do my best to upvote each day at full strength (about $3 at the current STEEM price) 3 posts tagged #challenge30days (leaving a link to your posts in the comments will also help).
If It's Under 2 Minutes, Then Just Do It Now
As you already know, I used to manage my own business for a few good years. I didn't have any specific training for that (and I think this kind of training is very hard to find, if possible at all) so I had to learn on the fly. There was a lot to take care about: from product to expenses, from human resources to growth. Time was scarce and, although my energy levels were quite high, I often ended the day completely depleted.
After 3-4 years into managing my own business, this fatigue took its toll, so I became interested in time management techniques and productivity frameworks. My interests coincided with the rise on the internet of a new productivity framework, called "Getting Thins Done", based on a book by David Allen.
I read the book and I was hooked instantly. I started to implement the framework and in a couple of weeks I became really obsessed with it. After a few more months, I realized I was spending more time managing what I have to do, than actually doing stuff, so I had to quit GTD and started my own productivity framework, called "Assess, Decide, Do". But more details about this framework in a future post.
Because when I got out of GTD, I didn't cut everything from it. Some of the things in the framework were actually valuable and I continued to use them. Among the things I still kept is the "2 minutes" rule.
Simply put, this rule means: "if something will take you less than 2 minutes", then do it now. For instance, you're working on something for a couple of hours, and you're really caught into it, then somebody calls you on the phone. You answer and in a few seconds you realize it's about some stuff you have to do (like validating a delivery, sending a confirmation email, or something like that). You just evaluate quickly if it's taking more than 2 minutes. Most often than not, these kinds of things are not taking more than 2 minutes. So, you hang up and you just do that thing. Then you get back to your stuff.
The same approach works for ideas. I used to keep an iPhone app for years just for jotting down blogging ideas. You can't control when an idea will pop up in your head. And, more often than not, writing down an idea won't take longer than 2 minutes. So, even if I had an idea while driving, I was just pulling over, firing up my iPhone app, writing down the thing and then move over. Almost always the entire process took less than 2 minutes.
But what if it will take more than 2 minutes? Well, then, and only then, you make a task entry in your todo list (if you have any) and schedule some time to solve that issue. I found out that my todo lists were filled with tasks that could be solved in less than 2 minutes, just clogging the space, giving me the impression that "I'm busy" and "I'm getting things done".
So, really curious to read about your life hack today. Leave a comment with a link to your post, if possible.
Previous Posts In The Challenge
- June 30 Days Writing Challenge - Life Hacks - Day One: Avoid Fighting With A Simple Visualization Technique
- Announcing The June 30 Days Writing Challenge - Life Hacks
I'm a serial entrepreneur, blogger and ultrarunner. You can find me mainly on my blog at Dragos Roua where I write about productivity, business, relationships and running. Here on Steemit you may stay updated by following me @dragosroua.
Wanna know when you're getting paid?
|
I know the feeling. That's why I created steem.supply, an easy to use and accurate tool for calculating your Steemit rewards |
Looking after the grandchildren today so don't have time to write a full post but the life hack that popped into my head when i read yours was to work in 45 minute segments and then take 15 minutes off.
If you're working at the computer that means you need to get up and do some thing that involves movement for 15 minutes.
When I do this I find I'm super productive and, of course, it's much better for my body. 😊
That's a very good one, actually. I work in long strings at the computer and although I work mainly from coffee shops, I do need to het out more often. Will definitely keep that in mind. On the same note, I recommend Pomodoro, a productivity technique similar to this one. I may write about it in a future post :)
I find it works especially well when I work at home @dragosroua because in the 15 minute breaks I can get some chores done that I normally put off. Doing things in fifteen minute blocks is more bearable for cleaning etc. 😁
It's one of those things though, that although I know it works really well for me I more often fall into the trap of getting caught up on the computer and not moving for hours. I need to set the alarm on my phone again. That's the best way.
I should get plenty of exercise to day though, running around after the kids. 😁
That's how I get the washing up done @gillianpearce. Somehow it doesn't seem such a chore pushed into the 15 minute gap between the other things you want to do.
I agree @shanibeer. I can get a lot of chores done this way much less painlessly that usual. 😁
Good. I will try working in 45minutes segment and use 15 minutes for household chores. Thanks.
You are very welcome @amelin. Give it a go and let me know how you get on. 😊
Getting things done and out of the way is important.
You could think of it as investing 2 minutes of time
and what you get in return is less stress.
I live the 2 minute rule, but I never thought of giving
it a name.
Most people do not realize that 90% of all the stress
they have in their lives is unnecessary. The single
largest source of stress is time. Allow me to elaborate.
You will feel stressed when you have little or no time
to do the things you need to do. Think of a time you
had to pay a bill or you had an assignment or project
to complete, but you left it to the last minute. When
you realized how little time you had left to get it done,
you felt stressed, right? But when you had a lot of time
to do it, or some other similar thing, did you feel the
same level of stress? If you felt any stress at all, it would
be significantly less than when you put things off till the
last minute.
If something takes 2 minutes to complete, just save yourself the stress and get it out of the way. Future you will love you for it ;-)
I have tidy friday - all those things and little errands get done then. I love having a clear desk (head) at the end of friday.
Tidy friday sounds like a good idea. I'm definitely trying it out for size
That's a good idea. You can spend more time thinking about a 2 minute task than doing it. lol
We all need a bit of inspiration sometime. I hope there is a lot of creativity of EOS platform as well.
This is such a great initiative for practical tips of life. My day job is an educator. When I first started, it was hard to keep up with the different tasks as well as my teaching load. Later on, I recorded everything that I needed to do on an organiser which allowed me to be in the knowing for weekly tasks to complete. Later on, with the introduction of smartphone, I would yearly update on my phone calendar all the major events for the whole year at the start of the year. This makes me to be more aware of my tasks to be completed and spread them out or complete earlier to find more time later. Time is limited but time can be managed. A good time management can help to reduce the last minute stress for sure.
Here's my tip for remembering pins and some passwords
https://busy.org/@unacomn/june-30-days-writing-challenge-2-how-to-never-forget-a-pin
Excellent this rule of two minutes, I'll put it into practice.
I have a doubt, although it is two days of the challenge, can I join with my publication as of today?
I've probably used the two minute rule on many occasion while running my own business, but I know I did it without being very happy about it. I've always had a tough time dropping something I'm doing just to go and do something else and then come back. Even if it does take a couple of minutes. However, every time I would be glad that I did, even if it meant that it took longer to get back into the groove of the project I was working on simply because those under two minute tasks would, as you said, stack up and then I would have five to ten of them to do towards the end of the day when I really wanted to be done with them rather than actually being done with them. I guess it's a pick your poison kind of deal. :)
Impressive I must say, I've come to learn something from books and that is not swallowing everything written hook line and sinker.
Glad you made your own theory.
I got mine all set and ready to join the 30dayschallenge
Here is my link
https://steemit.com/challenge30days/@yungchief/in-love-with-the-wrong-person