Ep. 98 Creating Room for What Matters Two Minutes at a Time

 Wish you knew a magic trick to manage it all?  We're about to crack the code on the two-minute rule, a powerhouse that empowers you to tackle tasks as they emerge and avoid procrastination. Providing this little-known strategy could transform your productivity, instill stress-free living, and more importantly, lead to a highly accomplished day.

But the magic doesn't stop there. We also unlock the potential of effective planning to drive your productivity to new heights. Plus, we’re offering some tips on crafting a morning routine that fills your day with energy and purpose and discussing why taking a breather is just as crucial as staying focused. And when things get tough, remember that breaking down tasks into manageable chunks could be your secret weapon against feelings of overwhelm. So, join me and discover how to create space for what truly matters in your life.

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Transcript

Mikita Smith: 0:00

And habits are like the entrance roadmap, right, so it's like a ramp to a highway, and this simple two minute rule is a simple way to find to pretty much help you enter a more focused, productive state of mind. To find that state of mind, and once you start taking small steps, you're more likely to continue with longer, more complex tasks. Hey there, I'm Makita, a small town girl with dreams who started a podcast with an old headset and a laptop at my kitchen table and made my dreams come true. On my podcast, time for Tea with Makita, we chat about living life unapologetically, on your terms, from career advice, entrepreneurship, relationships and everything in between. This is your one stop shop for real conversations and inspiration. If you're looking for connection, then you found it here.

Mikita Smith: 1:00

Join me every Tuesday as we dive into those sometimes hard to have conversations. So grab a cup of tea or coffee and get comfy, because this is Time for Tea with Makita, and the tea is definitely hot. Ever feel like you need a super power boost of motivation with exclusive tips and tools with your goals in mind? Well, say hello to your new inspiration hotspot the Tuesday Tea Newsletter, your weekly infusion of big thinking energy that will propel you to chase your wildest dreams and never shy away from using the power of your voice. Sign up for the Tuesday Tea Newsletter today at beautifullyandbalancedcom and elevate your goals to the next level. Welcome back. It is definitely time for some tea.

Mikita Smith: 1:45

I am your host, makita. First of all, I just wanna thank you for sharing your time, your space and your amazing energy with me today, and I hope you rung some of that energy with you, because I'm feeling super excited to have this conversation. But before we jump into today's hot tea topic, let's start with a quick boost of motivation from my affirmation deck. So our affirmation says today I am capable of achieving great things and I have the power to create a life I love. I want you to remember that as we dive into today's topic, and we're actually gonna be talking about a two minute rule to change how you show up and be more productive in every area of your life. So really we're just talking about getting more things done. Because I don't know about you, but sometimes it feels like there's never enough time, like if I could ask for one thing, I think it would be more time in the day, and I know that we are all given the same amount of time, but the way we use it actually shows us how productive we are, and I don't want you to think about this in this rat race finish line type of thing, but the thing is, if we can knock out these things, then we can have more free time to do things that we love to do more relaxing things, spending time with our family, having a nice dinner, just doing things that make you feel like you are refueling yourself, because we don't want to be in that constant get things done mindset, the rush, the rat race.

Mikita Smith: 3:30

So the two minute rule is simple. It is really all about taking tasks that takes less than two minutes and getting them done right away. And according to David Allen he is the productivity expert who actually introduced this concept of the two minute rule it can help you stay on top of your task and prevent procrastination. By tackling tasks as soon as they arrive, you'll save time, reduce stress and feel more accomplished at the end of the day, and almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you. So when we talk about preventing procrastination and reducing stress and saving more time, I actually know exactly how that feels like, and I'm sure you can too.

Mikita Smith: 4:23

When we get to these feelings and emotions because a lot of times, you know, we attach emotions to the tasks that we need to complete Sometimes it's this feeling of overwhelm that this thing is gonna be hard, or, you know, it's like I really don't wanna do that we have all these emotions that pop up, feelings of dread, you know and when we can separate those emotions, it helps us reduce our stress. We rethink how we view the tasks that we have lined up for ourselves. And here's something else Did you know that it only takes like 23 minutes and 15 seconds on average to regain focus after an interruption? I don't know about you, but I think I am my own worst enemy when it comes to interruptions. I find myself doing the most unproductive things. When it comes to doing stuff I don't wanna do, I will start sweeping the floor, rearranging things, and I have to remind myself that these things can wait. You have to stay on track here, because if not, you're gonna spend the whole day, you know, in this work mode but never getting anything done.

Mikita Smith: 5:40

And the thing is, our brains love to see progress and it. 23 minutes and 15 seconds to regain focus is a lot. So this emphasis on the power of the two-minute rule. It makes us really think about using our time wisely and making the most out of being focused and then pretty much enhancing your overall productivity. So when we talk about the two-minute rule and why it works, it's because it provides immediate gratification that helps us build momentum Because, like I said earlier, our brains love to see progress. I don't know about you, but when I start seeing like, oh my gosh, I had almost done everything on this list. I just got like two or three more things to get done and then I'm home free, it really reframes how I feel about getting things done. I get that momentum. I know like I'm halfway there, or over halfway there, to getting all of these tasks out of the way to so I can move on to doing what I really wanna do. And habits are like the entrance roadmap right. So it's like a ramp to a highway and this simple two-minute rule is a simple way to find to pretty much help you enter a more focused, productive state of mind, to find that state of mind, and once you start taking small steps, you're more likely to continue with longer, more complex tasks.

Mikita Smith: 7:15

And I guess the biggest question is how can you start using the two-minute rule Like how does that work? And does it matter what profession you in? And the truth is, it doesn't matter what your profession is, whether you're a business owner, whether you're a career like, whatever you're at in your journey the two-minute rule works. All you have to do is identify potential tasks that will take two minutes or less. You can keep a list of these tasks that can and will take under two minutes. You can look at your things like going through emails, deleting some things, starring some things that you want to come back to, that you may need to address.

Mikita Smith: 8:00

Turn downtime into productivity is also a great thing, capitalized on short breaks between meetings or tasks to complete small, quick tasks that can take less time, and creating an if-then plan. So the if-then plan is all about making a plan for what you'll do when a task takes under two minutes. For example, if I get an email that needs a quick reply, then I will respond right away. Right, so I'm not putting it on the list, I'm taking care of it right then and there. And, like I said, it really doesn't matter. It works in any situation and can be applied. So another great example is if you're a marketer who struggles with creating social media content, dedicate two minutes every day to brainstorm. I'm Lauren, you know. Make notes, write down content, ideas, keep it simple, keep it actionable and keep it productive. In two minutes, you will be amazed at how much you can brainstorm and how many ideas that you can actually come up with in such a short amount of time.

Mikita Smith: 9:13

Now there are two significant barriers to productivity, and they are procrastination and perfectionism. And I'm not going to lie I am a retired procrastinator and I work every day to make sure that I don't slip back into my role of procrastination because I've done it for so long. I got so comfortable of making excuses for my procrastination, and what I learned is that procrastination is just how I deal with doing uncomfortable things that trigger certain emotions, and we've all been there, haven't we? Getting off task or getting caught in the endless loop of making tiny adjustments, hoping for perfection. The good news is that when we apply the two-minute role, it can help you to break free from both of these things, and, by doing this, it allows yourself to work on tasks that take less time, giving yourself permission to start without fear and then eventually to start overcoming the procrastination and the perfectionism.

Mikita Smith: 10:20

You don't have to be perfect. The goal is to start where you are, and sometimes that looks a little messy, it looks a little crazy and off, but that's the whole point. You have to start where you are and eventually, as you get used to doing a new habit, as you get used to implementing and putting things in place, it will all start to feel just like riding a bike. You will get used to it, it will come naturally to you, and I don't want you to feel discouraged if you're struggling with certain aspects like setting goals or creating a strategy. Instead, focus on turning your weaknesses into strengths. Remember, mistakes are the portals of discovery. So a great thing that I like to do is access areas where you feel your weakest and then invest time in learning more about them.

Mikita Smith: 11:14

So when I was in that loop of procrastination, I had to really have a come to Jesus moment with myself, sit there and say what about? Why do you procrastinate? What emotions are you attaching, really taking the time out to listen and really dig deep to find the why, the why behind the why really, and then, if you're in a position that you can surround yourself and get team members on board who may exhale in the areas that you are not the strongest at, because we're not going to be best at everything, we're not going to be perfect or have the best strong suit at everything that we try to do. There are going to be some things that we're really great at and there are going to be some things that need improvement, and that's just how it goes. But we can improve the things that we are not, as areas that we're not strong in. We can definitely always improve them and turn them into strengths.

Mikita Smith: 12:19

And I will tell you right now when it comes to planning and setting goals and being I am not the best person at it, but I have worked at it so much because there is a sense of foundational peace there, of being productive, of setting plans, of setting the goals, and it gives me a sense of knowing where I'm at. It gives me a calm that I really love, because, other than that, I'm usually in a state of anxiety when I don't know what's happening and I feel all over the place. So when I set a plan, when I know what I'm doing, when I can look at my task and kind of check them off, I feel more at peace and I feel more balanced in that area of being productive. And another thing I will say is regularly reviewing your progress and adjust as needed, because throughout your journey there are going to be some things. As you get into using this new concept of doing things that could be done in less than two minutes, you're going to have to review like, how is that working for you? You try it for two to three weeks. You want to look at it. Okay, how did this work this week? What are some things that I may need to adjust and move around? Where doesn't this work yet? Maybe I need to not work on this right now and do something different. There's always going to be an adjustment period and just know that that's okay.

Mikita Smith: 13:55

And when we talk about like knowing and enhancing your strengths, I want you to really reflect on your past experience, to draw from your strength, you know. If you're not sure, you know where your strengths lie, identify what you're good at. For me, I am a big picture person. I can come up with tons of ideas, like I love coming up with ideas and concepts. But what I'm not so good at is, you know, filling in the small things, the little details. So I have to work really extra hard at those small details of getting everything into perspective, and that's where having a good team also comes in. At that acts as a compliment to you.

Mikita Smith: 14:41

But that's a great way to recognize what your strength is, you know, identifying what you're good at and set goals and challenges that align with your strengths. So when you're setting a goal or you're trying to challenge yourself, make sure that it aligns with your strength. You don't want to get to the point where you're setting a goal and the outcome of the goal relies on something that you're really not that good at. You know what I mean, Because sometimes what happens is our emotion gets attached to that goal and outcome and then we start thinking of ourselves, as you know, failing and not being good enough when that's not the truth. The truth is that that's just not an area of expertise, that you are the strongest. So make sure that when you're setting that goal, that it truly aligns with your strength and that if you do have a goal that you know the outcome is, you know, tied to something that you're not as good in, it's more, you know, of a challenge for you that you reach out to people, get insight, you know, really find some ways that you can actually start improving and working towards that, so that you can be stronger and better at what you're doing. And then also networking with people who have similar strength. This will also help you. When I talk about reaching out to people, you know that's all part of the process of networking. When you're working with people that have similar strengths, you can learn from them. Ask them what's their insights. You know, sometimes we see people and we see their growth and we think that they're just great at everything. But the truth is they had a learning curve. They had to learn the same way you did, and maybe their insight and expertise can give you some ideas and tips to help you move forward.

Mikita Smith: 16:27

Another thing that I love is using planners to help me gain more clarity. So we talk about, you know, getting things done, you know, having those two minutes to really become more productive. I can't talk about that without talking about using a planner. I think planners are a great way to have more clarity and you don't have to like just go out and like buy this expensive planner. You can get a notebook. If that works for you, you can title the top and say today's to-do list, put the date on there. You know it doesn't have to be fancy, simplicity is everything. And as you go you may say, hey, I do want to invest in a planner, but that'll be something for you to decide as you go along. But just know that having a space and a place to put this down can really help you organize your thoughts, track your progress and stay focused on your goals. So I want you to consider these tips for effective planning If you're thinking about a planner.

Mikita Smith: 17:29

Choose a planner that works for you and make sure that the format suits your needs. Whether it's digital or physical and we're all different I am a pen and pencil type of girl. That's just my thing. I've tried digital planners and they're okay, but I really want that book in front of me. Sometimes I use a little bit of both. I like to use my notes in my phone, for example. I assign it as a to-do list, I put a topic on it, and the great thing about that that I love is that I can actually share it to my Google docs so I can have access to it from anywhere. Just walking around with a planner is just not big or bulky. I don't really want to travel with that, it just depends. So you have to figure out which one is right for you. But find a format that suits your needs. And nowadays there are so many great planners that have these wonderful topic-driven things that have end of the day thought provoking questions to make you really reflect and have reflection on your day and how you felt like everything went. So I really do love those too. And then I will have to tell you.

Mikita Smith: 18:48

Establishing a routine. I and I know some people like to say, well, I don't have a routine. But trust me, everyone has a routine. You have some type of routine that you do daily and when you start to think about what you do when you first wake up in the morning, it's part of your routine. So you want to make sure that your routine actually goes into filling you, that it has space for you to really think about how you want to show up in that in that day. So set aside time each day of the week and maybe establish a part of that morning routine as you're planning for the week.

Mikita Smith: 19:31

For me it's Sunday. It's my planning day. I sit and I just plan how I want things to go. You know I start implementing different strategies and ideas and I put them in my planner and just you know, and. But that works for me. Sundays may not be your day for doing that, but my week, my work week, starts on Sunday for me, so that's how I feel like I have the most down time on Sunday where I can actually focus. Weekends go by so fast, so Saturday is usually dedicated to family time and I don't like to do anything that will compromise that. That's my non-negotiable boundaries there, and I will say on Sunday so it is a timeframe, it's not an all day. You know. I take three to four hours and what's not done is not meant to be done, and that's how I see it. I set my task, I set my timer and then I go forward.

Mikita Smith: 20:30

So another great thing if you're the type of person that likes timers, then try using a digital timer. I actually use the tomato timer. It's just an online timer app that I use and I set that timer and then I set a break time. That's what I like about it, because not only does it allow me to set the timer for working on a particular project, but then I can set a timer to take a break and walk away because I feel like you have to walk away to come back feeling refreshed and have a new surge of energy and insight, and if you're also a type of person that just sitting alone in quiet time are you doing stuff you know just drives you crazy, but you don't want your phone around because you know you'll end up scrolling through social media, I get it. There's a site that's called Cofftivity and it has these like really nice coffee sounds, background noise, and I like to use that sometimes when the house just gets a little too quiet and I just want to hear a little noise to like help me picture myself and like a coffee shop, just you know, with my laptop or something like that. It's just a great way to kind of relax myself. So those are just some ideas and things that you can use, some tools and resources to help you as you go into this next step of becoming your most productive self, without feeling like you're in this rat race cycle of constantly working all the time. Now I hope this conversation has been as inspiring as it has for me. So give this a go and I bet you'll see some positive change in your productivity levels. All right, you guys.

Mikita Smith: 22:23

So just a recap here. The two minute rule is all about taking your tasks that you can do within two minutes or less and getting them done so that you have more time to focus on the things that matter the most. The idea of the two minute rule is not to give you more task, and it's for you to have extra things to do, but for you can get more done and see your productivity level soar. It's all about shifting your mindset and asking yourself those questions like what task can you accomplish in two minutes or less? And then really graphs the essence of your work. Break them down and watch your output soar.

Mikita Smith: 23:05

And can you turn a larger task into several two minute tasks? Because by doing this you will also reduce the intimidation factor and find it easier to start. So when you feel like you don't know where to start, start small, start where you're at, make it simple. Take those larger tasks, break them down into two minute tasks and two. You, bit by bit, chip it away. All right, you guys, that is all of the tea that I have to spill today. But guess what? If you love this episode as much as I did, don't forget to share it with someone else who could use it and leave a review. I cannot wait to hear from you, and don't forget to join me each and every Tuesday for more delicious hot tea. Until next time, my friend namaste.