Big projects swallow us up and take our brain space. The normal person—even the high achievers—struggle to tackle the work that must get done. Whether it’s a writing assignment, submitting a grant request, or preparing a PowerPoint presentation for your boss or big client, we all face assignments that are all too easy to put off and deal with later.

We don’t start the work because we know it will take an hour (or four), and finding a chunk of time on an already crowded calendar feels as hard as doing the work itself. So, we put it off. Pretty soon, we’ve spent so much time wringing our hands and building up stress that the deadline is fast approaching. In the end, procrastinating only serves to make things more difficult.

Everyone struggles with their work at some point. Finding the right word or getting the spreadsheet cells to balance is hard no matter your industry. Getting the project finished just right or working through the times you get stuck in the middle of the assignment is hard enough.

Don’t let the start stop you.

A Change2Make

How much can you do in 15 minutes? That’s a good question. The answer is you can start. Often, that’s the headwind you face when given a job to do. Here’s the “I don’t have time to do this” hack that works—when I force myself to employ it! If you’re like me and starting is the hardest part, then set a timer for 10 minutes of that 15 that you have available and get a jump on that project.

It’s always easier to come back to work you’ve already begun—so begin. Get a start and set it aside for a later approach. Think of the time you will have saved stressing about this big work, get that 10- to 15-minute jump on it, and get going. Not only will you have chipped away at your to-do list, but you’ll quickly discover you’ve reduced your anxiety by just starting the assignment.

The projects you have in queue are hard enough to complete. There’s no need to add extra stress by procrastinating when you can carve out a few minutes and get started. That advice doesn’t just work for your professional life. This hack translates to any hard-to-complete task on your honey-do list at home, too.  

Get through the hardest part. Put that 15 minutes to good use. Start.

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