Monday, December 1, 2014

— SHARING MY RULE OF 10—


Have I already talked about my Rule of 10? I've meant to.  It falls into the category of loving iidiosyncrasies of people. Like my own! I think about  my 18 month old granddaughter who fell in love with a bag of Epsom Salts and jabbered to it and carried it around very purposefully all day long yesterday. I loved the absurdity of it. Just as my rule of 10 is my own "behavior peculiar to an individual" i.e. idiosyncrasy.  

About My Rule of 10:
When I am too tired to do more, I use the Rule of 10.
When I feel guilty about something I need to do and am avoiding it, I use the Rule of 10.
When I am into something, like a project, and need to stop but can't seem to,  I use the Rule of 10.

Here's how it works:
 I decide to do ten more things to push progress a little further, to put a stop to something I need to end, or to assuage guilt about a task  that's keeping me from focusing on something I want to do. 
The ten things are usually small but they can morph into more depending on how I feel.  They either spring me into more action  OR they  help feel like I made progress and can stop because the guilt monster has been fed.

Yesterday:
-- I was bothered by a crowded book case. Rule of 10?
I picked ten books and put them in a box for the dump which led to pulling out at least 20 more.

--I had holiday heebie-jeebies, so I ordered 10 presents for people out of Maine.

Today:
--I had Granddaughter detritus all over the house. Rule of 10? I picked up ten things and walked away to write.  (Lego pieces counted as one)
--I wanted to read and couldn't enjoy it so, I edited 10 pages of my book manuscript. I got involved and edited a hundred pages.  

The Rule of 10 is seriously helpful to me. I do that extra little bit.  I avoid full blown procrastination. I keep momentum going.  And I tame my beast of needing to be productive. 

I suggest it for the holidays.  Call it one of my ten gifts.  Or call it nuts.







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