Let’s boost your productivity: Blog Series 2 of 10

Hey there! Welcome back to the blog!

I am so excited to share with you Blog 2 of 10 in this series I am calling “Productivity Boosters”! Let’s get you to use practical tips to boost your productivity-Tips that are proven to work time and time again!

–> Read Blog 1 of this series here.

Today, I am excited to share with you The 2-Minute Technique to boost productivity. Let’s talk about how to use it and why it is guaranteed to boost your productivity.

This concept was popularized by David Allen in his book Getting Things Done. Check out his books to dive deeper into this topic.

HOW does it work? It’s easy! If it takes 2 minutes or less, get it done immediately. Set a 2-minute timer, and do the tasks that will take you 2 minutes or less to complete. This may include a variety of things at home and at work, but let’s start at home-specifically in the kitchen and work our way around the house. Tasks that take 2 minutes or less:

• Kitchen
  • Cleaning out the coffee machine
  • Emptying the top or bottom rack of the dishwasher
  • Clear out part of the kitchen countertops.
  • Pull out the (nonperishable) ingredients of the next meal you/someone else is going to prepare
  • Make coffee for the next day (I set it to automatically start the next morning 30 minutes before I wake up.)
  • Scan the fridge for expired items that need discarding or items that need to be place on the grocery list
• Livingroom
  • Move washed clothes to the dryer.
  • Fold the blankets on the couch and straighten the pillows
  • Put away as many pairs of shoes as you can
  • Straighten out electronics in livingroom/located remote, etc.
  • Take dishes/cups, etc. from bedrooms into the kitchen (This is especially important to teach to children, teens, and do so by putting a 2-3 minute timer to motivate them.)
  • Feed the animals (not talking about a big farm here), or at least refresh their water bowls
• Office
  • Pay a small bill online
  • Send a quick text
  • Reply to an email that requires no more than 2 minutes
  • Confirm an appointment
• Outside/Garage
  • Take to the car what you need to transport (Maybe you have a bag of clothes sitting by the door that needs to go to Goodwill, maybe you have a letter/gift box/Amazon return that needs to run to the post office. This keeps you from forgetting to take the items with you next time you leave the house.)
  • Put away the toys outside/organize or bring them into the garage
  • Water plants or set the sprinkler
  • Put away the water hose, watering can, etc.
  • Bring the mail
  • Run the trashcan to the end of the driveway

WHY I recommend this technique to my clients? We tend to feel overwhelmed and freeze when we think of completing all of them at the same time. To be honest, I am not immune to those feelings of overwhelm, BUT I’ve found that you skip the FREEZE mode if you think about doing just 2-5 tasks on your list that take 2 minutes or less.

1. This allows you brain to get an immediate hit of dopamine and feel good hormones and feel accomplished.
2. You create momentum. As you’re moving around, your mind will forget that you are doing things that take only 2 minutes. Complete 1-2 tasks create a momentum that increases your likelihood to continue moving and working.
3. Simple and Easy! This technique is simple to implement and easy to duplicate. You don’t even have to set a timer for it. You can simply count 1 Mississippi, 2 Mississippi, 3 Mississippi until 120 Mississippi.
4. This technique prevents procrastination! I love this because I create evidence for brain that I am not a procrastinator. I used to call myself a procrastinator (and used to think it was a badge of honor at times-go figure!), but no more. I no longer choose to label myself as such. Our brain likes evidence for our beliefs. When I believe that I am not a procrastinator, my brain believes me because I am creating evidence through this technique. Our brains don’t care how complicated a task is. If something is done and completed, we get a hit of dopamine and feel accomplished. That’s all that’s needed for our brain to identify as individuals who follow through on items on our To Do Lists.
5. This technique reduces mental clutter! Okay! I am ALL for reducing clutter of any and every kind. When I have to work on a BIG project, or medium size task, my brain gets distracted by all the small (2-minute tasks) scattered all around me. They are like the small lego pieces of our “To Do list”. LOL But seriously though! When I am done with the smallest tasks, I can focus on the bigger ones that required 30 minutes-3 hours.

WHEN is the best time to use this technique? Of course you have to prioritize what needs to be done around you. If you are late to work, you can’t worry about decluttering the fridge or folding the blankets on the couch. You simply grab your key, secure your home and leave for work. I recommend you think about working on the 2-minute long tasks before your day starts or before you head to bed. Let me explain use an example you might be able to relate to:

When I was in college, I worked at a couple of different restaurants (my favorite was the Outback Steakhouse!), and we were assigned “side work” we were responsible for while we worked and before we clocked out of our shift and headed home. This included cleaning our stations in the back of the kitchen (such as the drink/ice machine, bread station, bathrooms, floors, etc.), our tables inside the restaurant (sweep, restock condiments, etc.), and roll silverware into napkins for the next day. We had to have someone hold us accountable and sign our name off the list to make sure we completed our side work.

Consider completing the 2-minute tasks in your life before you “clock out of your shift” and head to bed. Maybe you can alternate the tasks you get done each day of the week before you head to bed. Bonus points if you teach this technique to young ones in your life to establish routine and build discipline in their daily lives.

As a life coach I love exploring new techniques that not only help me, but also serve my clients in best way possible. I hope you’ll give this a try and let me know how you’ve implemented it in your life.

Do you want to know what life coaching is all about? I am so excited to share with you my Overcome Procrastination for Good program designed to help you understand the underlying causes of procrastination and equip you with proven strategies to take control of your time, boost your productivity, and achieve your goals.

Email me at NiloBurkeCoaching@gmail.com to get on the wait list for Overcome Procrastination for Good!

Be well and take good care of yourselves,

~Nilo

Hey friends! Do you want to learn about life coaching? You are in the right place for it! I am a Certified Life Coach helping women get more done in their lives by increasing productivity, focus and confidence in their ability to do what they say and say what they do! You an I go on an adventure to Get it Done! and come out stronger on the other side. If you are ready to learn more about my services, send me a message below and schedule a time to chat all about it!

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