How Many Days Has “I Don’t Have Enough Time” Cost You?
When you tell yourself you don’t have enough time, your goal waits another day. Here is how ten minutes and an exact time can get you started.
If you tell yourself you don’t have enough time, this one is for you.
You have twenty minutes free.
You could work on your article. Read your study material. Write a rough introduction for the proposal.
But you tell yourself:
“Twenty minutes isn’t enough to do anything well.”
So you postpone the task.
By bedtime, you have answered messages, taken care of other people and spent some time scrolling on social media. Your own goal hasn’t moved forward.
One day like this is understandable.
When it happens day after day, it becomes a pattern. You begin to doubt whether you can follow through.
Does your first step need to be so big?
When you are used to doing things well, starting small can feel like you aren’t doing enough.
Three bullet points seem too little when you want to write a whole article. Two pages seem too little when you have an important exam to prepare for.
But it is still real progress, and that matters.
It is more useful than creating long lists of to-do items and feeling too overwhelmed to start.
Ten minutes spent on a meaningful goal can shift your energy: the way you feel and what you would be willing to do next.
It can help you focus on what is possible instead of what went wrong before.
Try this
Choose one easy, but meaningful action you can complete in ten minutes:
- Draft three points for your article.
- Read two pages and write down what you learned.
- Write one question to ask a potential customer.
Choose a time: “I’ll do this from 1:00 to 1:10 today.”
You may need more time later. For now, give yourself ten minutes to begin.
When you commit to an exact time, and schedule it on your calendar, you are more likely to do it.
Each time you do what you said you would do, however small, you build trust in yourself.
It can be that easy.
What have you been putting off because you think you don’t have enough time?
If you would like support to move one meaningful goal forward, consider joining my FREE 5-Day MOVE Challenge. Email MOVE to [email protected], for details.