Think its too overwhelming?

I've been a big fan of my to-do list for a some time now. Every night at 8:30 pm, I write up the items I need to do the next day.  I'm also a big fan of Fly Lady.  So I check my inbox for my "flight plan" for the next day and add my daily "mission" to the list.

When I looked at my list today, I felt a little overwhelmed because my "mission" was to wipe down the kitchen cabinets and the appliances. I've done this before, and  so why did the task seem so daunting?

Well, that's when I remembered to follow the Fly Lady's instructions and set the timer for 15 minutes.  You can do anything for 15 minutes!  And guess what? I had the whole job done within 7 minutes!! Yay!!

I was able to relax for a few moments, enjoy a cup of green tea and play with my kids.  This got me thinking... Once I got it in my head that the job of cleaning the cabinets would only take 15 minutes (and no more), I felt a lot less intimidated by the idea.  And I kicked booty and did it in half the time!

So what is overwhelming you?  Is it organizing your home office? Maybe its clearing out the clutter of your closet?  What about the clutter on your dining room table? What about exercise? Does that seem overwhelming?

Even exercise can be tackled in 5 to15 minute increments.  Did you know you burn almost the same amount of calories if you do three 10 minute segments of exercise compared to one 30 minute session?

Set you timer for 5 minutes and jog (or walk) up and down the stairs.  Sock skate on the wood floor for 5, or do as many push-ups, jumping jacks and crunches for 5.

There's even a cool workout called 10 Minute Trainer by Tony Horton where you can do 10 minute segments of resistance training and cardio.  It even comes with the resistance bands! Plus a nutrition guide! So right there its not overwhelming because it comes with what you need to succeed.

I know how hard it is to start something.  Our minds play tricks on us and force us to fear something and make it bigger than it is.  But if you can break it down into blocks of time for 5, 10 or 15 minutes and promise yourself you will stop when the timer stops, then that task shrinks and looks a lot less scary.

If you need help taking on exercise and bringing it down to size, email me at fitwithjessica@live.com .

I'd love to hear from you! Please feel free to leave a comment:)