90 and Break

January 26, 2013

One of my New Year’s resolutions is learning to be more productive (and stop procrastinating). No matter what my task, I find that I have trouble starting. But once I’m into it, I can’t stop. I find myself in an "all or nothing" mentality. Neither of which is conducive to accomplishing my goals. I can’t finish if I don’t start, and I’ll burn out if I don’t take a break. 

You can apply this to anything! Laundry. Matching socks. Starting research on a new family line. Have you been meaning to sit down and start organizing all those family photos? Can’t stop researching that one elusive ancestor? And even worse, you started researching Smiths, only to be sidetracked by who built what bridge in that one town that your cousin Larry visited back in the 1960s.

Start your project and stop spinning your wheels with one simple but effective habit – 90 and break. Gregory Ciotti wrote an article for SparringMind.com that details the science behind why this works, saying, "It’s much easier for your brain to approach a 90-minute session of productivity when it knows that a 15-minute break is coming up afterward."

It’s been working for me, allowing me to get more done in less time. I don’t feel drained or burned out by the daunting tasks before me. What are some of your New Year’s resolutions, and how do you plan on staying motivated? 

Cynthia S.
Midwest Genealogy Center