As little as 20 seconds can make the difference between doing something or not doing something.
Shawn Achor, author of “The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology That Fuel Success and Performance at Work,” discovered that the 20 seconds it took to get his guitar ready to play deterred him from playing it, according to an April 20 article on Inc.com. To combat this, he took the instrument out of its case and placed it nearby. When the motivation to play hit, the guitar was ready. He practiced for 21 days straight.
The takeaway: Keep things that boost productivity or items you want to work on—such as a business book you want to read or a long-term project you want to complete—within easy reach, the article notes. The corollary works, too. Keep unhealthy foods and time wasters more than 20 seconds away to make it harder to access them.
