It could be the tax return, bulging wardrobes or a major life change. If you are a procrastinator then these things never get done or get left to the very last minute. Caroline Buchanan suggests a new way – pick your task and just take 15 minutes, you may get it done, you may not but you will have made a start. It’s a clever way to stop yourself dithering and delaying, learn how to be methodical and consistent in your approach, those 15 minutes could start you on the road to order and change.
The 15 Minute Rule : How to Stop Procrastinating and Take Charge of Your Life Synopsis
The Fifteen Minute Rule sets out to help us tackle those things that we are always putting off: starting an exercise regime, looking for a new job, doing our tax returns or learning a new skill. Or perhaps doing something to improve the quality of life, by learning to fight depression or confront an annoying habit. Perhaps it's simply clearing the huge pile of clutter from your desk. Whatever it is, all you need is fifteen minutes and before you know it, some weeks later, you have accomplished a task you couldn't bring yourself to start. The hardest thing to overcome when you're trying to start something daunting and new is to actually start. That mountain of paperwork in front of you that looks like it will take hours to go through and hours of mind-numbing sorting is hard to contemplate for most - but fifteen minutes isn't. Fifteen minutes is manageable and can bring minor and major results, each one providing satisfaction and a boost in self-esteem.
Caroline Buchanan has been the agony aunt for Now magazine for 14 years, and before that worked in the same capacity for Here magazine and Candis magazine. She has written three self-help books: The Sensuous Slimmer, Caught in the Act and The Single Parent's Survival Guide and has featured on radio and television.
