🔟 How to Change Your Life in 10 Minutes

Good morning.

The quality of your life is dependent upon the quality of your habits.

The trouble is habits are hard to start and even harder to keep.

Over the past 90 days, I’ve uncovered a secret to habit-building that has (thus far) allowed me to progress in three areas I haven’t been able to gain traction in for a couple of decades now.

Let’s get into it.

— Gordon

Everyday Insights 👀
Keeping you in the know

• Why Playing It Safe Is the Riskiest Strategic Choice [HBR]

• What is artificial general intelligence (AGI)? [McKinsey & Co]

• LinkedIn’s Rolling out Company Page Messaging to All Brands [Social Media Today]

🔟 How to Change Your Life in 10 Minutes

Going into 2024, I committed to investing 10 minutes or more daily to learn new skills that would help me grow personally and professionally.

I practice piano, read a book, and learn to code for 10 minutes or more each day.

These three areas help me in a few ways, making each day more fun and productive.

1. Knowledge and skills

2. A productive break

3. Joy

Over the past 90 days, I've finished two books and am actively reading three others. I've also completed a Coding Foundations course, I’m 9% through a 150-hour Full Stack Engineering career path (for funsies), and I have learned seven chords, three key positions, and flats and sharps on piano.

I think this whole 10-minute thing is working. 🙂

Oh, and I've written and published 14 weekly newsletters and a 400-word essay daily for 88 days straight.

Sure, those take more than 10 minutes a day, but they are proof that consistent action, even in small increments, creates momentum that carries us forward faster.

Why am I sharing this?

Through this personal growth, I’ve learned five lessons that not only serve me personally but professionally as well.

Here’s what I’ve learned.

1. Progress > Perfection

We all want to be pros on day one, yet to be good or great at anything, it takes time, practice, and patience to get there.

Most of us know this, yet we get stuck in our heads.

Start today, and find joy in making progress, no matter how little progress you make each day.

Even with just 10 minutes daily, you'll be blown away by how much you progress in a few months.

2. Bite-Size Benefits

I've found several benefits to committing to only 10 minutes each day.

First, ten minutes is nothing, so it's an easy pill to swallow, even when your day is packed.

Second, learning new things becomes hard at times. Learning in smaller chunks allows you to avoid burnout and keep hacking away.

Third, consistent action builds confidence and momentum, making you less likely to miss a day.

3: Get Your Commitments Done in The Morning

Your commitments are your most important daily activities as a business owner.

They are the high-leverage activities that directly impact revenue. Each day brings new challenges that can derail your progress. Protect your time in the morning so you can be agile in the afternoon.

Set aside time each morning for strategic tasks essential to business growth.

My 10-minute habits go in the morning too.

They are a massive energy source (consistency, confidence, and joy).

They drive me to complete my revenue-generating activities and any other critical tasks that are, shall we say, less than enjoyable.

We all know how an afternoon can quickly turn into a certified shit show.

The earlier you can complete your non-negotiables, the better.

4: Create an Environment for Focused Work

Create a work environment conducive to deep, focused, and productive work.

We've all had those times when we're working on something, and everything else around us disappears. Time flies by, and suddenly, we come out of it, like, "Whoa."

That's focused work.

That's the headspace you want to reach each morning for four to five hours to complete your commitments.

When I feel distracted or unable to plug into my work, I knock out one or two of my daily habits to help me reenergize and refocus.

5. Everyone Has Time

We all say we don't have time for certain things.

Frankly, that's bullshit.

We have time for the things we choose to have time for.

Are you investing your time on what matters most to you?

For most of us, it isn't a lack of time but a lack of priorities and commitment.

If I can't invest 10 minutes each day to progress in each of the areas that have meaning to me, are they really that important to me?

For me, the answer is a clear "YES!"

Therefore, my actions have to align with my goals.

If you have been putting off learning something new or starting something that could change your life, start today with 10 minutes.

And, hey, if you're having fun with it, do 20 or 30 minutes today.

Just know that when life shows up, and you feel like you can't get it done today, 10 minutes is all it takes to fulfill your commitment for the day.

Enjoy that thing.

Keep that streak.

You've got this.

ONWARD TOGETHER.