Welcome to the fourth habit in the #GiveMe30HabitProject!!

See this post for all the details and backstory!

This month’s habit is a productivity habit called the 1-Minute Rule!

The 1-Minute Rule is one of my biggest procrastination-busting techniques. It simplifies and streamliens your processes so that you accomplish a lot without a lot of mental effort or time investment If you have a to-do list that neer ends (who doesn’t!) you will love this habit!

“With the “one-minute rule,” I do anything that presents itself, right away, as long as I can do it in a minute.” -Gretchen Rubin

I can’t take credit for coming up with or naming this habit. I came across the idea a few years ago from following Gretchen Rubin and listening to her podcast, Happier. I highly recommend it, as well as her books The Four Tendencies and Better Than Before.

You can read a thorough explanation by Gretchen Rubin of the 1-Minute Rule on her site here, but it is essentially a small-scale version of the old idea by Mark Twain “Never put off until tomorrow what can be accomplished today.” The gist is that if a tast takes a minute or less to complete, go ahead and do it. A lot of times it can be easy to put off tasks that are small. They can pile up on the to-do list and cause unnecessary stress and even low key anxiety.

The benefit of the 1-Minute Rule is that all the little things that don’t take much time start to add up in your favor, instead of working against you. If you’ve been around here long enough, you know I am a fan of using the power of small wins as a success strategy, a productivity tool, and as a self confidence-building tool.

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Now that you have an idea of what the habit looks in practice and the benefits of practicing it, it’s your turn!

For the next 30 days:

• If a task takes 1 minute or less to complete, do it as soon as it crosses your mind.
  • Practical Tips: Start thinking about what things this might include, but pay attention to those that pop up throughout your day and follow through if they meet this criteria.

• Make a metal note any time you notice any changes in your stress level by completing these little tasks.
  • Practical Tips: Call these benefits to mind whenever you don’t feel like following through on your habit.

• Look for ways to put new ideas into practice.
  • Practical Tips: The most important part of acquiring knew knowledge or information is to implement it. This is how you reap the benefits of the habit. Think of a few things that the 1-minute rule could be utilized for in your own life so that when those things pop up, you remember to implement the rule.

• Ask a friend or your spouse to join you in this habit.
  • Practical tips: Check in with one another and share your ideas and struggles so that you can help each other stay excited about the habit.

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🚨Don’t forget to share this project with others! You can share the link to this blog post as a status/post on Facebook. Feel free to save and use the image from this post, or use the ones I’ll have on my Instagram page. Whatever other means you have to get more involvement will make this more fruitful! Tweet, email, pin, etc.

Also, I encourage you to keep track of your journey and use the hashtag #GiveMe30HabitProject on social media. Please tag me in your habit progress and insights! I’ll also be glad to troubleshoot sticking points. I’m Kaci M Byrd Cheeseman on Facebook and @CheeseGirlPA on Instagram.

If you want to check in daily for accountability, you can post either a photo and/or status and use #GiveMe30HabitProject #Day1, #GiveMe30HabitProject #Day2, so on and so forth. I’d love to see how it goes and repost—only if you give me permission, of course! I’ll be searching the hashtag to see who is joining in.

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Remember: What is it you want to achieve? Who do you want to become? How do you want to serve others? You may not know how to get there, or even how to get started. I just ask that you trust me and help spread the message to others so they can become involved. Keep showing up, and together we will get you there, one 30 day habit at a time!

Are you ready? Let’s get growing!!

| Kaci

P.S. If you are interested in working on a specific habit and need someone to help you troubleshoot, keep you motivated, and hold you accountable, I offer coaching a variety of ways, which you can learn more about here. My specialty is habit change and my approach is to work on mindset alongside the habit, so that it is healthy and sustainable. Whether it involves your health, finances, nutrition, exercise, relationships, or personal growth, habits are the key to success. We are the outcome of what we repeatedly do. Without addressing that, there can be no change. Learn more here!

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Reader Questions:
1/ Have you ever heard of Gretchen Rubin or her podcast before?
2/ Do you procrastinate on little tasks?