I once heard someone say, “If it takes less than 2 minutes, just do it.” I have used this to do the little things like put away my shoes, or my coat, but what if something takes longer than 2 minutes?

How do I motivate myself to do something that is 10 or even 20 minutes? I seem to be busy with my school most of the time, and when I’m not, all I want to do is relax, not do chores.

Here is a motivation/ productivity trick that I‘ve found helps me be more productive, and in general, helps me realize that I can get things done.

All you need for this project is: scissors, paper, a pen, jars or containers (optional), and a little creativity.

Start by cutting the paper into strips.

Then on the pieces of paper write down things you want to do, haven’t got around to doing, or little things you remember to do but always put off.

After you write down a couple of things, separate the pieces of paper in groups of how long you think each task will take (some examples would be: clean my shoes – 5 minutes, or put away clean clothes – 10 minutes). You can have as many groups as you want, but I have found that it is nice to categorize into four groups: 5mins, 10mins, 20mins, and under 60 minutes.

I realized that when you organize these tasks into groups of how long they take, you are more likely to do them because you can tell yourself, “I guess I can spend 5 minutes doing this” or, “I really want a break from school, I will take a 10 minute break doing this.”

When you have your groups, all you have to do now is put the pieces of paper into jars (or containers), and label them 5, 10, 20, and 20-60 minutes! Then when you next feel the urge to do something productive, pick how long you would like to spend based on the labeled jars, and randomly choose something to get done! You don’t have to choose randomly if you don’t want to, but I have found that this is how you get done all of the little things you put off.

A few more examples are: pray a rosary, organize my closet, take a walk outside, clean one bathroom drawer, and vacuum one room.

Be creative!

To make this system more fun, try adding things you always want to do but forget about. Like reading a certain book, baking a new recipe, or even doing something fun with your siblings! This is a great way to remember the things you always only remember when you are busy.