I need 2 minutes of your time . . . . ok – just one . . .
One of the the hardest parts of starting to do something new is allocating the time or being aware enough to fit the task into your day. Note the difference between finding the time and allocating the time.

So what’s the absolute smallest part of that task that you can do now, and every day? Seriously, the thing that will take you one minute . . .


A few examples:
I’m going to exercise before dinner = I’m going to put my workout clothes on every day before dinner.

I’m going to clear out all the junk and nutrient free food like items from the house = Every morning I’ll throw out 1 item, package or bottle until everything is gone.

I’m going to walk for 15-30 minutes after every meal = I’m going to stand outside for one minute after I’ve eaten.

I’m going to tidy my home to live more minimally and be able to focus on the important things = Let’s start with the sock draw, tomorrow a different one.


. . . you get the point, right? – You can apply this to learning a skill, to a work or passion project, and of course healthy habits for optimising your lifestyle.


Can doing the bare minimum really bring results?
Let’s answer with a question – Is doing something more likely to get you down the path to success than doing nothing at all? 

There’s two things that will happen. . . 

In the scenario that you only do the bare minimum, just a minute or two, then over time you’ll zoom out and see that you’ve accumulated hundreds of minutes of activity towards living a better life. You’ll find the individual tasks easier, or have moved on to more challenging tasks. You’ll have acquired a new skill without even noticing you’re getting good at it. Your mind will be clearer as the chaos turns into order.

Another, and more likely scenario would be, that routinely, the one minute turns into two, to 5 then 10 and so on. Suddenly you won’t just be doing one exercise but completing a whole workout. You’ll get into your house cleaning and have tidied up, and chucked out all the trash. The trivial sub task with the aim of learning a new skill has turned into hours of intrigue, reading, learning, practice and proficiency. And perhaps most importantly, you’ll have filled up your time with beneficial activities, so that the drains on your time (TV, social media, a bad boss, or toxic ‘friends’) don’t get a look in.



Try this:

 – Write down three goals you would like to achieve over the next few months.

 – Now break those goals down to sub tasks or smaller goals (a tree diagram may help with this).

 – Two additional levels will take you down to individual activities, and then even the smallest part of that activity. (For example:- Clear out junk food = clean out kitchen = clean out individual cupboards = clean out one shelf = throw out 5 items)

 – Lastly, for each of these 3 goals, now decide when in each day and week you can allocated the time, write it down, on this list and in your calendar. Use reminder apps and notifications to help you.

… Now it’s time to get to work, one minute at a time. Good Luck!