Aug/Sept 2024 Aspire Magazine FULL Issue | Page 20

When people tell me – as they often do – that they are “ overwhelmed ,” usually they are telling me that they have too many things on their to-do list , and none of them are sufficiently interesting to warrant doing first . One client referred to this as “ being pecked to death by ducks .”

The 15-Minute Method asks you to pick something and focus on it . What will you pick ? You may know the answer right away , or maybe you feel that there ’ s now a whole new flock of ducks coming at you .

No worries – spend your first 15 minutes making a list of potential 15-minute activities , and then , the next day , pick one .

Try it . If you like it , keep going . If not , keep working your way through the list , noticing what resonates for you and what doesn ’ t .

Even if you spend your 15 minutes sitting quietly , staring at a blank piece of paper , I would consider that time well spent . As those of us who remember the long car trips of our youth spent in the way-back of the family Volvo well know , boredom can be profoundly instructive .

If the first benefit of the 15-Minute Method is the necessity to prioritize and focus , the second benefit is that of cumulative effort . If you play guitar for 15 minutes every day , it will not be very long before you are a much better guitar player . If you write for 15 minutes a day , eventually you will have a book . If you clear a few inches of clutter each day , you will soon have a clear , workable space . The results are undeniable and unmistakable .

Finally , the 15-Minute Method gives you permission to fool around , to fail , to noodle , to try a new way , to hopscotch right over your perfectionism , procrastination , and selfdoubt and figure out what works for you . It allows you an easy way to prove to yourself that you can keep your promises to yourself , which has a delightfully positive effect on your self-esteem .