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The 10-minute rule

by Gareth Cotten on 01/06/10 at 9:00 am
3 comments

Last week Tuesday, I was having a particularly full business-owner day – dealing with clients, taking a vehicle in for a service, replying to emails stemming from a new ad we’d put up, looking over financials for the previous month, researching a new opportunity, general admin, etc.  We’ve all been there.  But it was okay – I was planning on hitting the gym that evening, and then meeting up with the boys for a few beers afterwards.

As the ‘official’ working day started drawing to a close, I glanced at my watch, and realised that the time had got away from me.  Working backwards from the time I needed to be at the restaurant – compensating for the fact I still needed to eat and shower – I calculated that instead of having an hour for the usual gym workout I do, I now only had 10 minutes to spare!

My first instinct was to just throw my hands up in the air, and drop the idea of fitting in some exercise altogether.  But then I thought about the promise I’d made to myself about regular exercise, and the reasons why I made that promise.  So, instead of curling up into a ball and sucking my thumb, I threw on my running shoes, and jumped on the treadmill.  It was only a 10-minute burst, but I worked up a decent sweat, and still managed to make everything else on time.

The fact that I did actually do some form of exercise, as small as it may have been, made all the difference to my evening.  The endorphins were buzzing around my body, I didn’t have to harbour any feelings of guilt about being lazy, and the beers tasted just that much sweeter…

Now, how can you apply this principle to your work or in your business?

Almost every day, we’re faced with little pockets of dead time:  That chunk of time between clients; the gap between your conference call and the meeting you’re just about to go into; the last few minutes before you clock off for the day; etc.  Instead of taking the default approach of wasting them (checking your Facebook for the fifth time that day, for example), rather make productive use of them.

Pick up the phone and call that supplier you’ve been meaning to; drop an email to the chap you met at that networking event recently; write a thank-you card to a new client.  Even if you want to use the time to relax, do it actively – don’t faff around on the Web, rather get outdoors, close your eyes and concentrate on your breathing for a bit.  Whatever you do, remember the 10-minute rule – making that one little effort could make all the difference in the world…

Gareth Cotten is one of the growing breed of SA entrepreneurs with that ‘world-domination’ look in his eyes. Gareth runs the coaching and consulting practice 'Good Advice'. Gareth is also the 'course convener' for the University of Cape Town (Law@Work) Start and Manage a Small Business course and the University of Cape Town Basics of Financial Management course. View more articles by Gareth Cotten.

Tags: time management

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