Give Yourself Fifteen Minutes
Author Beth Skwarecki believes the following eight words can change our lives and our perspective: “The first mile is junk. Throw it away.”
Consider what happens in the first 15 minutes of working on a project, running, exercise, or writing. It’s definitely not our most productive time. We spend a good portion of the first 15 minutes dreading the task, ruminating on what else we could be doing beside running or working out, or staring at the page wondering what to write next. We often use the remainder of that time trying to ‘put our game face on’: “ok, I can do this” or “I’m going to feel so much better when I finish this workout”.
The sentiment here is simple: if we give ourselves the initial 10 - 15 minutes to level-set, adjust, and find our rhythm, we will mentally set ourselves up for productivity, engagement, and positive outcomes. So, leaders...can you give yourself 15 minutes to warm up to your activities and work? Can you ‘embrace the suck’ (as my former US Army Drill Sergeant would say), knowing that your ‘flow state’ is on the other side? The journey to becoming “The Leader You Want to Be” will require small, yet important shifts like sticking through the first 15 minutes on your way winning back your day!
Quote for Growth
“If you find yourself avoiding tasks or really resistant to a project, you can say to yourself; “I just need to get through the first 15 minutes”