What are some of the outstanding tasks or projects in your life? The old office that needs sorted through? The junk drawer that looks more like a vortex than a drawer? The dining table that needs refurnished but still has not been painted? Wow, these projects can feel overwhelming! And we tend to push off these projects because they feel all-consuming. Consequently, the junk drawer remains cluttered and the dining table remains in the garage instead of the dining room. The projects may nag at you when you walk past them and you begin to think, “When will I ever have enough time to tackle this?”

In order to scratch some big items off your list I invite you to start the 15-minute challenge TODAY. My challenge to you is to spend 15 minutes per day working on a project until it is completed. This may take one day or it may take a month, but the idea is that you are consistently working on the project over manageable time periods. You may ask yourself, “Where can I find 15 minutes?” Well, it turns out that there is approximately 15 total minutes of commercials during an hour-long TV program. Ideally you would work for 15 straight minutes, but my point is that you have downtime during the day when you can scratch items off your list.

Think about the 15-minute challenge with a positive mindset. First, remind yourself that 15-minutes is not a long period of time. This means that you are not spending your entire Saturday afternoon cleaning an office, but instead poke into the office for 15 minutes each day. You can also consider having your partner, family member, or friend help with the 15-challenge so that you can accomplish projects at a faster rate. Most importantly, once you start the 15-minute challenge you will begin to see changes quickly and bask in your small victories.