Getting Incremental

"I don't have time to start that now!"

Have you said that recently?

You might be contemplating a project that has real heart and meaning for you — one of those big-goal projects that really matter. Or it could be a straightforward "to do" around the house or in your garden.

You could just be thinking about decluttering your clothes closet.

"I don't have time to start that now!"

For some people, it's a habit they learned in grade school. Teachers and parents are fond of creating Good Work Habits. Once you start something, you're supposed to persevere until you finish it. And that means you need a nice big chunk of time.

Maybe it's something you learned at work. Skillful project management includes accurately estimating how long project tasks will take. Then you plot those tasks on a calendar in nice big chunks of time, and off you go.

Now, there are certainly some tasks that require those nice big chunks of time. I'd hate to paint a room in five-minute increments!

But a lot of goals you probably think of in terms of hours or even days are very well suited to nibbling at in fifteen- or even five-minute increments.

Decluttering is one of my favorite examples of how effective getting incremental can be. I've had clients tell me that they need to spend a whole weekend decluttering their office, garage, or clothes closet. And maybe it's true — maybe, all told, it will take fifteen or twenty hours to really complete the project.

I don't know about you, but just thinking about that makes me feel tired. And with everything else I need to do on any given weekend, my immediate reaction is — you guessed it! — "I don't have time to start that now!"

Get incremental.

The easiest way to get incremental about a project is to pick a nibble of time and then go for it. Got ten minutes before leaving for an appointment? You've got a ten-minute time-nibble (a.k.a. increment).

Garden maintenance? Pick up your pruning shears, rake, or weeding tool of choice, and get to work — for ten minutes.

Researching a new career? Spend ten minutes Googling. Start a list of websites and other resources to investigate later, when you have another time increment available.

Menu planning and shopping list? Take your ten minutes and decide on dinner for the week. Write it down. Do the shopping list later.

Get creative about what you can do in the time you have. Obviously, you're not going to mow the lawn in ten minutes (but you might be surprised at how long — or short! — it really takes; time yourself next time and see!). But once you pick the topic area — gardening, menu-planning, changing careers, cleaning the garage, decluttering your closet, or whatever it may be — you'll be amazed at how much you can accomplish in fifteen, ten, or just five minutes.

And those five, ten, and fifteen minutes add up. You'll quickly start seeing progress, which will encourage you to keep on nibbling.

When you're done with one project, you'll discover you've created a habit. Next time you have a time increment available, you'll look for another project to start nibbling at.

Who knows what you might be able to accomplish? Certainly a lot more than if you just keep saying, "I don't have time start that now!"

"People get trapped into thinking about just one way of doing things."
Erik Weihenmayer, U.S. acrobatic skydiver, long distance biker, marathon runner, skier, mountaineer, ice climber, and rock climber — and blind since age 13! 1968 - .

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About the Author: Grace Judson is an executive coach and business consultant with more than two decades of experience in strategic planning, coaching, business planning, and tactical execution. She specializes in corporate politics and culture issues, and is especially interested in gender politics and the issues of women and gender role expectations in the workplace. For more information, go to: www.svahaconcepts.com.

© 2007 Grace L. Judson. All Rights Reserved. Reprinted here with permission granted by the author.

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