Are you looking for a practical approach to setting good habits and achieving your goals?
Then, let me introduce you to the one simple hack that has made a massive difference for me.
This tiny trick has helped me tackle larger tasks with less stress and a more satisfying sense of accomplishment than anything I’ve tried in the past.
The best part is that you can apply this cheat code to a wide variety of different goals, such as:
- Getting into a morning workout routine
- Establishing a daily mindfulness practice
- Learning a new language
- Bringing more organization to your daily life
The opportunities are endless!
If you’re ready for positive change, then let’s get to it!
This post may contain affiliate links. As an affiliate of the Amazon associate program, Modacity, Dr. Josh Wright ProPractice, Musicnotes, Playground Sessions, and Piano Marvel, I may receive a commission at no extra cost if you purchase through a link. Please see my full disclosure for further information and privacy policy. I take no credit for the images appearing on this page. Specific photos are courtesy of Canva. Although I am a nurse practitioner, I am not YOUR medical provider. The information in this post is for informational purposes only. It does NOT replace individualized health information from a qualified medical professional. Please see a qualified medical professional for individualized assistance with your health and wellness.
How 10 Minutes a Day Can Change Your Life
Ten minutes a day doesn’t seem like a lot of time.
And when you stop to think about it, 10 minutes on any given day really isn’t much.
But multiply 10 minutes a day by 7 days a week, and suddenly, you have 70 minutes.
Add it up over the course of a month and we’re talking 5 hours.
Five hours specifically devoted to something about which you’re passionate or even something you’re not doing right now but feel like you “should” be doing is a tremendous amount of time!
Stretched out over 6 months, 10 minutes a day quickly adds up to 30 hours.
And by a year, we’re talking 60 hours.
Think about the positive changes you can make to your physical and mental health, or simply tackle that new skill you’ve been wanting to learn.
With only 10 minutes daily, you can take the smallest steps toward a brighter future.
Why 10 Minutes?
The idea of devoting 10 minutes a day toward a goal came to me after a series of failures.
For the past couple of years, I’ve had a goal of learning Frederic Chopin’s piece Nocturne in C Minor, Op. 48, No. 1.
It’s a challenging piece, but something about it captivated me, and I desperately wanted to learn it.
But the problem was time.
Between work, kids, and daily life demands, I couldn’t find the discipline to sit down and consistently practice the piece.
Each time I took a small step toward memorizing a section or mastering the dynamics of a phrase, I lost momentum, and months passed before I got back to it.
I struggled to fit piano practice into my daily routine, and as time passed, more negative emotions about not achieving my goal set in.
After awhile, learning the nocturne seemed hopeless.
But then, one day, I had this thought.
What if I could find 10 minutes a day to set aside for accomplishing my goal of learning the nocturne?
At first, it seemed like a stupid idea.
After all, what’s 10 minutes?
But the more I thought about it, the more I decided that 10 minutes may not seem like enough time, but it was certainly better than zero minutes.
And for the first time in a long time, I felt optimistic about my goal.
How to Find 10 Minutes in Your Day
At this point you might be wondering how someone with a busy life could possibly find another 10 minutes in their day.
My advice is to look for those pockets of time when you would generally scroll social media on your phone.
It’s shocking how much time we all waste in a day on pointless activities that do nothing to improve our stress levels or overall physical well-being.
But if you can switch out those time sucks with something more positive, the initial inertia of your efforts adds up quickly.
Here are a few tips for finding those precious chunks of time in your day:
- Figure out what time of day you feel most productive.
- Look at how you’re currently using that time.
- Is it beneficial? Or would you be better off using that time for something else?
- Once you’ve uncovered the ideal time to add in your new daily habit, stick with it by finding accountability.
Why You Need Accountability When Establishing a Habit
If you’re anything like me, you can find an excuse for everything.
I’m fairly certain I was a lawyer in another life because I’m pretty great at finding reasons why I should or shouldn’t do something.
I can find arguments for and against any given topic on any given day.
And this tendency to excuse away my “lack of time” sunk me into the depths of piano despair day after day.
It became a self-fulfilling prophecy in which I told myself that I couldn’t make progress because I didn’t have the time.
But I also didn’t make any effort to find the time I needed to make the progress I wanted.
And this is where accountability comes in.
Each and every time I’ve been able to establish a more consistent practice routine, Modacity has been part of the equation.
Modacity is an app that was designed by musicians for musicians to help achieve practice nirvana.
My favorite feature is a daily practice counter, which gradually ticks upward the more days in a row that you devote to practice.
Whenever I think about skipping a practice day, I think about how it will destroy my record, and suddenly, I feel motivated to sit down at the piano.
Check out my previous post if you’d like more information about how to incorporate Modacity into your practice sessions.
Final Thoughts
I hope this post has inspired you to step outside your comfort zone and tackle those larger projects you’ve been putting off!
Devoting 10 minutes a day has been life-changing for me, and I believe it can be for you as well.
Although 10 minutes a day can accomplish a wide range of goals, I recommend starting with only 1 goal at a time.
Once you’ve established a healthy routine with goal #1, then you can add another goal.
But don’t try to do it all simultaneously because it can feel overwhelming.
If you’d like to hear my progress on the C minor nocturne, check out my YouTube video!
Although the piece is far from perfect, and the sound recording could be better, I’m very proud of myself for pushing past perfectionism and just getting it out there!
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this post and what goals you’d like to accomplish with 10 minutes daily.
If you’re looking for more inspiration, check out my previous posts:
- Why You Should Embrace Being Bad at Something
- 7 Ways to Enjoy the Journey of Life: Simple Tips
- How to Tell When You’re Overwhelmed
- 5 Simple Tips to Help You Be More Productive
- How to Stay Motivated to Play Piano: Practice Tips
- A Complete Review of ProPractice by Dr. Josh Wright
- The Best Ways to Learn Piano in 2023
- 5 Powerful Ways to Halt Limiting Beliefs in Their Tracks
- 3 Secrets to Reversing Your Perfectionist Tendencies
- Best Keyboard Piano for Adult Beginners in 2023
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