Good Morning/Afternoon Everyone!
We hope you all had a great weekend! Now let’s jump into a great Monday newsletter!
We’ve all been there. It’s Monday morning, your to-do list is intimidating, and that big project feels like climbing Everest in flip-flops. So what do we do? We scroll. We reorganize. We suddenly remember that our inbox desperately needs a deep clean. Anything but starting the actual work.
Here’s the secret that high performers know: momentum beats motivation every single time. And the fastest way to build momentum? The 10-Minute Rule.
The concept is beautifully simple. Instead of psyching yourself up to complete an entire daunting task, commit to working on it for just 10 minutes. That’s it. No pressure to finish, no expectation of perfection—just 10 minutes of forward motion.
Why it works
The 10-Minute Rule leverages a psychological quirk: starting is the hardest part. Our brains are wired to resist discomfort, and big tasks trigger our threat response. But 10 minutes? That’s barely a commitment. It feels safe. Doable. Almost laughably easy.
What happens next is where the magic lives. Once you’re in motion, continuing becomes exponentially easier than starting was. You open that blank document and suddenly a few sentences appear. You send one email and realize there are two more quick ones you can knock out. You tidy one corner of your desk and before you know it, the whole surface is clear.
Real-world examples that work
Here’s how to deploy the 10-Minute Rule this week:
• That presentation you’re dreading? Commit to just opening PowerPoint and typing a title slide. Nothing more. Watch how often you end up outlining three more slides.
• Inbox at 287 unread? Set a timer and process emails for exactly 10 minutes. You’ll likely clear 15-20 messages and feel accomplished instead of defeated.
• Need to start that report? Open a blank document and brain-dump anything related to the topic. Coherence doesn’t matter—just get words on the page.
• Workspace looking chaotic? Spend 10 minutes clearing just your immediate desk area. A clean space creates mental clarity.
• Avoiding a difficult conversation? Draft the first two sentences of that email or plan what you’ll say. You don’t have to send or speak yet.
The Monday challenge
This week, pick your most procrastination-worthy task. The one you’ve been avoiding. Set a timer for 10 minutes and start—with zero obligation to continue past that timer.
Most days, you’ll keep going. But even on the days you don’t, you’ve still broken the seal of avoidance. You’ve created momentum. And momentum is the currency of productive weeks.
Remember: You don’t need motivation to start. You need to start to find motivation.
Let’s make this Monday count.
As always have a great day and see you all tomorrow!
The Casual Workweek