We all have lazy days (no, we all deserve lazy days)! Lazy days when we just chuck on a top and leggings, if you get dressed at all
Posted by admin on
You spend too much time scrolling on your phone, you don't tick much off your to-do list and all in all, you're just feeling tired and unmotivated.
And days like that are totally ok. We need those days to refresh, but if it's become more of a regular thing or you are struggling to get out of a slump, it's time to take some action and kick your bum into gear! My ultimate top tip for productivity and motivation is to just start, and start small.
First things first. Pick an easy activity you know you can quickly accomplish, but something you've been putting off for ages because you just can't be bothered. Second of all, find a good playlist and set a timer for 10 minutes.
You'll be amazed at what you can achieve in just ten minutes when you put your mind to it, and you know you've got a timer! Once you get started, the motivation should begin to flow and you'll want to do more, on the other hand if you don't want to continue, that's perfectly fine, you're amazing and you've done something productive today!
So I've put together a little list of 10 productive things you can do in 10 minutes. So if you need some motivation, or you just cannot find the time to do anything at the moment, these productivity tips are for you!
10 Productive Things You Can Do In 10 Minutes
Clean your desk or dining table
It's going to sound cliché but it's so true, having a clutter free, clean workspace is essential for motivation to flow and allow you to get stuff done! It helps to clear your headspace and allows you to focus on what you need to focus on, rather than noticing all the little bits of mess, distracting you and getting in the way!
If you work from a desk at home, having a clutter free desk will really help you to focus on the tasks at hand, not to mention you'll actually be able to find the things you'll need!
If you don't work from home, or perhaps you work at the kitchen table - your table is one of the most important items of furniture. It's where you eat, maybe where you work. But it's also where everyone tends to automatically dump things. Homework, school bags, food shopping, letters, washing are some of the most typical things that tend to get thrown and stacked up on the table. So to kickstart your day, your productive 10 minutes or your speed cleaning session - start with the table!
Write down your top three goals
I've mentioned it a million times before, but I'm a big goal setter. Even if it's little daily things, having things to work towards, to strive towards, absolutely works for me. If setting goals works for you too, why not spend 10 minutes jotting down your top 3 goals. Whether it's your top 3 goals for the month, or top 3 goals for the next 3 years, jot them down. Give them their own page in your planner, type them up and print them out or make them into a huge poster for your wall. Whatever works best for you, do it. Once you've decided on your top 3 goals, underneath I want you to write the first few steps you will need to take to achieve these goals and get to work!
Make a new playlist
Whatever did we do before Spotify? I love making new playlists on Spotify, for all different occasions, seasons and tasks! When I am trying to get some work done, I like to listen to something. I don't work well in silence and if I watch something I tend to get distracted, so that's where my productivity playlist comes in! It's ideal if you are trying to block out any distractions, or need an uplifting boost of motivation! I definitely suggest putting together a productivity playlist!
(Aside from that, there are a million of other playlists you could make too! A good morning playlist, a bedtime routine playlist, a Spring morning playlist or even a speed cleaning playlist!)
Update your planner
If you're a fellow notebook user, or stationery hoarder - I know you'll love a good planner. What's not to love, it feels optimistic and exciting when you purchase a pretty new notebook or planner. You have all these wonderful ideas in your head of how you are going to fill it in each and every day, perfect, fancy writing with absolutely no mistakes.
But again, if you're anything like I used to be, life gets in the way. You might fill in your planner for the first week, maybe even the first month or so, and then it just sits there.
Now is the time to crack open that planner again, skip ahead to the current date (ignoring how many pages you haven't actually used) and get to it.
I find the easiest way to kick start using my planner is to start with the monthly spread. Jot down any important dates you don't want to forget. Birthdays, Anniversaries, bills, school dates to remember, deadlines etc. Colour code if you wish (I wish I had the time!)
Move on to the weekly spread. Just focus on this specific week for now. Using the monthly spread, transfer any relevant dates that are happening this week and add in any more general tasks you'd like to accomplish - for example, pick up prescription or catch up on emails.
Then lastly, move on to the daily page. Fill in todays, and tomorrows if you wish. Again, transfer any dates and tasks from the weekly view to the daily view - adding anything extra in. I like to write the daily tasks as a checklist so I can tick them off.
And trust me, in 10 minutes you can really transform and update your planner, ready for the week/month ahead.
Plan your meals for the next 7 days
Planning your meals is one of the most important things you can do if you are on a budget, and frankly want to save yourself from the daily stress of "What's for dinnerrrr?"
Writing a meal plan for the week also helps to reduce food waste, as it's a good idea to raid your cupboards, fridge and freezer to check what you already have in. You can see what needs to be used up that week, use the ingredients to base your meals around, and most importantly to stop you buying something you already have.
So take 10 minutes to search your cupboards, browse Pinterest, blogs or other websites and plan all your meals for the week. It'll save so much time and hassle in the long run!
Declutter one space
Everyone has junk lying around the house and although it might seem like it's not a big deal, its just mess, just too much stuff. But the reality of clutter is that it's creating pressure on ourselves. It stops us as a family being able to manage the home we live in, keeping it tidy is so much more time consuming, the more stuff you have! Not to mention the fact that half the 'stuff' probably doesn't even have a place to go!
Decluttering feels like such a huge deal, like a really big job but it doesn't have to be. You just need to be ruthless and start small. So with the 10 minutes you have, why not declutter one space. Whether it's a drawer, a coat rack, a kitchen cupboard or a corner of your bedroom. Perhaps once you've finished, you'll feel like continuing your decluttering spree, or if you feel like that's enough - you've done something super productive today!
Exercise
One of my most used excuses for not exercising is 'I don't have the time', and a lot of the time that's true. My life feels very busy, particularly on a productive day and 30-40 minutes is a big chunk of time when you've got a lot of things to do.
But that shouldn't be an excuse, according to studies working out for 10 minutes high/moderate intensity has many of the same benefits as 30 minutes of jogging.
As it's only 10 minutes, you have the opportunity of switching things up, trying new things. Whether it's a HIIT workout, Zumba, yoga or jogging, it's only 10 minutes and I can guarantee you can spare 10 minutes for a spot of exercise.
Unsubscribe and unfollow
In this day and age, if you aren't careful, social media will run your life. It'll be the first thing you look at in the morning and the last thing you look at before you fall asleep. You'll spend far too long scrolling and scrolling, liking photos, reading pointless articles and end up feeling miserable and jealous of other people.
Social media can have a huge effect on your mental health, so that's why learning to control the time you spend on it, and what you do on it is so important. We often end up subscribing, or following so many other accounts, lots of which aren't relevant to you, or maybe are actually putting a dampener on your mental health. Nowadays, I tend to be ruthless when it comes to who I follow on social media. If any one/or any account makes me feel negative emotions that's it, click and they're gone. Accounts on Instagram that make me feel 'I'm not good enough', 'I don't work hard enough', I 'don't do enough' are the worst, and will quickly be removed from my following list. So with your 10 minutes, help your mind and unsubscribe and unfollow any accounts that don't bring you joy.
File away paperwork
We all seem to acquire piles and piles of paperwork now and then, don't we? Whether it's a mountain of post you haven't even looked at, a pile of personal documentation you need to store safely away, or bills you've paid but need to file away. It can be a daunting thing to sort through but it doesn't have to be, you just need to get started. Spend 10 minutes opening that post, going through that heap of paper and sort it into 4 separate piles - recycling, file away, respond to, and personal documentation. Any random scraps of paper, junk mail, pages you no longer need can go straight into recycling. If it needs to be filed away, file it away, if it needs to be responded to - do it, now. And lastly if it has your personal information on it ideally needs to be shredded. I can guarantee you'll feel a huge sense of accomplishment after you've sorted out your paperwork.
Read Something
There are many benefits to reading. Whether its a old fashioned book, or a tablet the benefits are still there. Reading increases mental stimulation, reduces stress, helps you sleep, it increases your vocabulary and knowledge and improves memory.
It doesn't have to be a fiction book either, me personally, I love a good non-fiction book, something that'll inspire and motivate me. So whether it's after breakfast, during lunch or right before you get into bed, grab 10 minutes to read today.
Do you have any other 10 minute productivity tips you'd like to share?
-----------------------------------------------------------If you have enjoyed reading this post, and found it interesting or helpful, here are some easy ways you can say thank you and support Whimsical Mumblings so I can keep making good content for you to enjoy:
1. Click here to buy me a coffee ☕☕
2. Click here to like Whimsical Mumblings on Facebook
3. Click here to follow Whimsical Mumblings on Instagram
4. Share this post with your friends (you can use the buttons on the left hand side of site)
5. Sign up to the newsletter by clicking here
Thank you so much for your support. Have a fab day!
#Inspiration #Lifestyle
And days like that are totally ok. We need those days to refresh, but if it's become more of a regular thing or you are struggling to get out of a slump, it's time to take some action and kick your bum into gear! My ultimate top tip for productivity and motivation is to just start, and start small.
First things first. Pick an easy activity you know you can quickly accomplish, but something you've been putting off for ages because you just can't be bothered. Second of all, find a good playlist and set a timer for 10 minutes.
You'll be amazed at what you can achieve in just ten minutes when you put your mind to it, and you know you've got a timer! Once you get started, the motivation should begin to flow and you'll want to do more, on the other hand if you don't want to continue, that's perfectly fine, you're amazing and you've done something productive today!
So I've put together a little list of 10 productive things you can do in 10 minutes. So if you need some motivation, or you just cannot find the time to do anything at the moment, these productivity tips are for you!
10 Productive Things You Can Do In 10 Minutes
Clean your desk or dining table
It's going to sound cliché but it's so true, having a clutter free, clean workspace is essential for motivation to flow and allow you to get stuff done! It helps to clear your headspace and allows you to focus on what you need to focus on, rather than noticing all the little bits of mess, distracting you and getting in the way!
If you work from a desk at home, having a clutter free desk will really help you to focus on the tasks at hand, not to mention you'll actually be able to find the things you'll need!
If you don't work from home, or perhaps you work at the kitchen table - your table is one of the most important items of furniture. It's where you eat, maybe where you work. But it's also where everyone tends to automatically dump things. Homework, school bags, food shopping, letters, washing are some of the most typical things that tend to get thrown and stacked up on the table. So to kickstart your day, your productive 10 minutes or your speed cleaning session - start with the table!
Write down your top three goals
I've mentioned it a million times before, but I'm a big goal setter. Even if it's little daily things, having things to work towards, to strive towards, absolutely works for me. If setting goals works for you too, why not spend 10 minutes jotting down your top 3 goals. Whether it's your top 3 goals for the month, or top 3 goals for the next 3 years, jot them down. Give them their own page in your planner, type them up and print them out or make them into a huge poster for your wall. Whatever works best for you, do it. Once you've decided on your top 3 goals, underneath I want you to write the first few steps you will need to take to achieve these goals and get to work!
Make a new playlist
Whatever did we do before Spotify? I love making new playlists on Spotify, for all different occasions, seasons and tasks! When I am trying to get some work done, I like to listen to something. I don't work well in silence and if I watch something I tend to get distracted, so that's where my productivity playlist comes in! It's ideal if you are trying to block out any distractions, or need an uplifting boost of motivation! I definitely suggest putting together a productivity playlist!
(Aside from that, there are a million of other playlists you could make too! A good morning playlist, a bedtime routine playlist, a Spring morning playlist or even a speed cleaning playlist!)
Update your planner
If you're a fellow notebook user, or stationery hoarder - I know you'll love a good planner. What's not to love, it feels optimistic and exciting when you purchase a pretty new notebook or planner. You have all these wonderful ideas in your head of how you are going to fill it in each and every day, perfect, fancy writing with absolutely no mistakes.
But again, if you're anything like I used to be, life gets in the way. You might fill in your planner for the first week, maybe even the first month or so, and then it just sits there.
Now is the time to crack open that planner again, skip ahead to the current date (ignoring how many pages you haven't actually used) and get to it.
I find the easiest way to kick start using my planner is to start with the monthly spread. Jot down any important dates you don't want to forget. Birthdays, Anniversaries, bills, school dates to remember, deadlines etc. Colour code if you wish (I wish I had the time!)
Move on to the weekly spread. Just focus on this specific week for now. Using the monthly spread, transfer any relevant dates that are happening this week and add in any more general tasks you'd like to accomplish - for example, pick up prescription or catch up on emails.
Then lastly, move on to the daily page. Fill in todays, and tomorrows if you wish. Again, transfer any dates and tasks from the weekly view to the daily view - adding anything extra in. I like to write the daily tasks as a checklist so I can tick them off.
And trust me, in 10 minutes you can really transform and update your planner, ready for the week/month ahead.
Plan your meals for the next 7 days
Planning your meals is one of the most important things you can do if you are on a budget, and frankly want to save yourself from the daily stress of "What's for dinnerrrr?"
Writing a meal plan for the week also helps to reduce food waste, as it's a good idea to raid your cupboards, fridge and freezer to check what you already have in. You can see what needs to be used up that week, use the ingredients to base your meals around, and most importantly to stop you buying something you already have.
So take 10 minutes to search your cupboards, browse Pinterest, blogs or other websites and plan all your meals for the week. It'll save so much time and hassle in the long run!
Declutter one space
Everyone has junk lying around the house and although it might seem like it's not a big deal, its just mess, just too much stuff. But the reality of clutter is that it's creating pressure on ourselves. It stops us as a family being able to manage the home we live in, keeping it tidy is so much more time consuming, the more stuff you have! Not to mention the fact that half the 'stuff' probably doesn't even have a place to go!
Decluttering feels like such a huge deal, like a really big job but it doesn't have to be. You just need to be ruthless and start small. So with the 10 minutes you have, why not declutter one space. Whether it's a drawer, a coat rack, a kitchen cupboard or a corner of your bedroom. Perhaps once you've finished, you'll feel like continuing your decluttering spree, or if you feel like that's enough - you've done something super productive today!
Exercise
One of my most used excuses for not exercising is 'I don't have the time', and a lot of the time that's true. My life feels very busy, particularly on a productive day and 30-40 minutes is a big chunk of time when you've got a lot of things to do.
But that shouldn't be an excuse, according to studies working out for 10 minutes high/moderate intensity has many of the same benefits as 30 minutes of jogging.
As it's only 10 minutes, you have the opportunity of switching things up, trying new things. Whether it's a HIIT workout, Zumba, yoga or jogging, it's only 10 minutes and I can guarantee you can spare 10 minutes for a spot of exercise.
Unsubscribe and unfollow
In this day and age, if you aren't careful, social media will run your life. It'll be the first thing you look at in the morning and the last thing you look at before you fall asleep. You'll spend far too long scrolling and scrolling, liking photos, reading pointless articles and end up feeling miserable and jealous of other people.
Social media can have a huge effect on your mental health, so that's why learning to control the time you spend on it, and what you do on it is so important. We often end up subscribing, or following so many other accounts, lots of which aren't relevant to you, or maybe are actually putting a dampener on your mental health. Nowadays, I tend to be ruthless when it comes to who I follow on social media. If any one/or any account makes me feel negative emotions that's it, click and they're gone. Accounts on Instagram that make me feel 'I'm not good enough', 'I don't work hard enough', I 'don't do enough' are the worst, and will quickly be removed from my following list. So with your 10 minutes, help your mind and unsubscribe and unfollow any accounts that don't bring you joy.
File away paperwork
We all seem to acquire piles and piles of paperwork now and then, don't we? Whether it's a mountain of post you haven't even looked at, a pile of personal documentation you need to store safely away, or bills you've paid but need to file away. It can be a daunting thing to sort through but it doesn't have to be, you just need to get started. Spend 10 minutes opening that post, going through that heap of paper and sort it into 4 separate piles - recycling, file away, respond to, and personal documentation. Any random scraps of paper, junk mail, pages you no longer need can go straight into recycling. If it needs to be filed away, file it away, if it needs to be responded to - do it, now. And lastly if it has your personal information on it ideally needs to be shredded. I can guarantee you'll feel a huge sense of accomplishment after you've sorted out your paperwork.
Read Something
There are many benefits to reading. Whether its a old fashioned book, or a tablet the benefits are still there. Reading increases mental stimulation, reduces stress, helps you sleep, it increases your vocabulary and knowledge and improves memory.
It doesn't have to be a fiction book either, me personally, I love a good non-fiction book, something that'll inspire and motivate me. So whether it's after breakfast, during lunch or right before you get into bed, grab 10 minutes to read today.
Do you have any other 10 minute productivity tips you'd like to share?
-----------------------------------------------------------If you have enjoyed reading this post, and found it interesting or helpful, here are some easy ways you can say thank you and support Whimsical Mumblings so I can keep making good content for you to enjoy:
1. Click here to buy me a coffee ☕☕
2. Click here to like Whimsical Mumblings on Facebook
3. Click here to follow Whimsical Mumblings on Instagram
4. Share this post with your friends (you can use the buttons on the left hand side of site)
5. Sign up to the newsletter by clicking here
Thank you so much for your support. Have a fab day!
#Inspiration #Lifestyle
Share this post
- Tags: Inspiration, Lifestyle