The 45 Minute Rule

Okay, so you know I love rules (remember the earth-shattering, life-changing 2 Minute Rule?), and when I was reading one of my brother David’s latest blog posts, it reminded me of a rule that helped me be productive and stay sane years ago when I was writing my Ph.D. dissertation.  And it’s still something I use today.  It’s the 45 Minute Rule.

The 45 Minute Rule is simple.  Do something for 45 minutes straight, with laser focus, and then take 15 minutes to unwind and do something relaxing.  Repeat.

It’s funny, as I remember back to the 12-14 hour days on the computer, about the only thing that kept me from throwing the computer out the window (which, incidentally, my advisor said was a sign that I was nearly done), was the 15 minute breaks every hour.

So, I would type for 45 minutes straight, and to be sure I didn’t run over, I always set a timer.  Then, since I love to cross stitch and find it relaxing, I cross stitched for 15 minutes.  Then, back to the computer.  The 15 minute reprieve was just enough to rejuvenate me and press me on to another hour of torture.  I would work from on the hour to 45 minutes past the hour, and then take the last 15 minutes to walk around and cross stitch.  By doing this, I not only succeeded in finishing my dissertation (in record time), but I also completed several small cross stitch projects as well!

So, next time you have an intense task that needs to be done, don’t be afraid, dive in head first using the 45 Minute Rule and watch your productivity soar.

Give it a try today!

To your success,

Dr. Laura

P.S. I’ve used this ever since for a variety of things.  I even ran a half-marathon in my fastest time yet to date by alternating running and walking at programmed intervals, much like the 45/15 example above.  Using that concept, I was able to shave over an hour off my previous half-marathon time!  And, get this – I was LESS tired!