How to Start Work When You’re Avoiding It (The 10-Minute Version)
You know that thing you need to do? That work task you’re avoiding? The one sitting on your to-do list, the one you keep scrolling past, finding other things to do instead of just starting?
Yeah. Me too.
I’ve spent entire mornings reorganizing my desk, going down a rabbit hole of researching something, checking email (yet again), and suddenly deciding that today is the day I absolutely must clean out that one drawer that’s been bugging me for months.
Anything to avoid starting the actual work.
And the thing is? The task itself usually isn’t even that bad. I’m not avoiding it because it’s hard or complicated. I’m avoiding it because… well, I’m not entirely sure. It just feels heavy to start.
Can you relate?
Why We Do This (And It’s Not What You Think)
For the longest time, I thought I was just procrastinating. Being lazy. Lacking discipline. All those things we tell ourselves when we can’t seem to just sit down and do the thing. My whole life I’ve just told myself I was a procrastinator, and just accepted it. I said it’s who I am. I can’t change.
But then I realized something:
The problem isn’t the task. It’s the moment of starting.
Think about it. Once you’re actually doing the work, it’s usually fine. Sometimes it’s even easier than you expected. The hard part is that first step: opening the document, starting the email, picking up the phone. (ugh, don’t talk to me about calling people…I’ll put that off forever!)
It’s like there’s this invisible wall between “not doing it” and “doing it,” and crossing that wall feels impossibly heavy.
So we avoid. We find other things to do. We tell ourselves we’ll start “when we have more time” or “when we feel more focused” or “after lunch.”
But here’s what I’ve learned (and I’m still learning this, honestly):
You don’t need to do the whole thing. You just need to start.
Where I Learned This (And Why It Actually Works)
I have to give credit where it’s due: I first came across this idea in the book Atomic Habits by James Clear.
He talks about something called the “two-minute rule”… the idea that any habit can be scaled down to a two-minute version. Want to read more? Start by reading one page. Want to exercise? Start by putting on your workout clothes.
The point isn’t that you only do it for two minutes. The point is that starting small makes it so much easier to actually begin.
And once you begin? Momentum takes over.
I read that and thought, “Okay, that makes sense.” But honestly, I didn’t fully get it until I started trying it myself. With work tasks. With cleaning. With all those things I kept avoiding.
That’s when it clicked: the hardest part really is just starting.
Once I’m doing the thing, it’s usually fine. But that moment right before starting? That’s where all the resistance is.
So if I can make starting ridiculously easy, (like, so easy my brain can’t argue with it), I can actually get past that stuck feeling.
Here’s what that looks like for me after reading a LOT on how to get things done and about procrastination:
The 10-Minute Version That Actually Works
I’m not going to tell you to “just do it” or “stop procrastinating” because if that worked, you wouldn’t be reading this right now.
Instead, I’m going to share what’s been working for me lately. It’s almost embarrassingly simple, but I swear it helps.
Here’s what I do:
Step 1: Make “starting” ridiculously small
Instead of thinking “I need to finish this project” or even “I need to work on this for an hour,” I tell myself:
“I just need to open the document.”
That’s it. Not write anything. Not finish anything. Just open it.
Or if it’s an email I’m avoiding: “I just need to type the person’s name.”
Or if it’s a phone call: “I just need to look up the number.”
The goal isn’t to complete the task. The goal is to make the first step so small that my brain can’t come up with a good reason to avoid it.
Step 2: Set a timer for 10 minutes
Once I’ve done that tiny first step, I set a timer on my phone for 10 minutes.
I tell myself: “I only have to work on this for 10 minutes. After that, if I want to stop, I can.”
This is key: I give myself permission to stop after 10 minutes.
Because here’s the thing. Most of the time, once I’ve actually started, I don’t want to stop. The resistance was all about starting, not about doing the work.
But knowing I can stop if I want to? That makes it feel less heavy. Less like a commitment. More like… just trying something for a few minutes.
Step 3: Notice what happens next
Usually one of two things happens:
Option A: I work for 10 minutes, the timer goes off, and I’m actually kind of into it now. So I keep going. Not because I have to, but because it’s easier to keep going than to stop.
Option B: I work for 10 minutes, the timer goes off, and I’m still not feeling it. So I stop. And you know what? That’s fine. I still did 10 minutes more than I would have if I kept avoiding it.
Either way, I’ve moved forward. The task is a little less daunting now because I’ve at least started it.
What This Looks Like in Real Life
Last week, I had to write an email I’d been putting off for three days. It wasn’t a difficult email. It wasn’t even particularly important. But every time I thought about it, I’d find something else to do instead. I’d say that as soon as I finished that (more important) task, I’d write the email.
Finally, I told myself: “Just open my email. That’s all you I to do.”
So I did.
Then I typed the person’s name in the “To” field.
Then I thought, “Well, I might as well write the subject line.”
And before I knew it, I’d written the entire email. It took maybe 8 minutes total.
The task hadn’t changed. The email was the same email it would have been three days earlier. But by making “starting” so small, I got past that invisible wall.
It Works for More Than Just Work
Here’s another example: organizing my house.
I want to organize. I really do. I look at the cluttered closet or the messy kitchen counter and think, “I should deal with that.” I know I’d be SO much happier if things were organized…and I keep saying that I’m going to do it.
But then I feel completely overwhelmed by how much there is to do, and I end up doing nothing instead.
Sound familiar?
So I started using the same approach. I set a timer for 10 or 15 minutes and tell myself, “I’m just going to work on this one section for 10 minutes. That’s all.”
And you know what happens almost every time?
I finish that section and keep going. Because once I’m actually doing it, it’s not as overwhelming as it felt when I was just thinking about it.
The timer gives me permission to start small. And starting small almost always leads to doing more than I planned.
But even on the days when the timer goes off and I stop? I still organized for 10 minutes. That’s 10 minutes more than I would have done if I kept avoiding it.
The Version for Really Hard Days
Some days, even the 10-minute version feels like too much.
On those days, I give myself an even smaller goal:
“I just need to sit at my desk.”
Not work. Not even open anything. Just physically sit in the chair where I work.
And then I see what happens.
Sometimes I sit there for a minute and think, “Okay, I’m here. Might as well open the document.”
Sometimes I sit there and realize I’m genuinely exhausted and need a break. So I give myself permission to rest instead.
Both are okay.
The point isn’t to force myself to be productive every single moment. The point is to lower the barrier to starting so much that my brain stops seeing it as this big, heavy thing.
What I’m Still Learning
I’ll be honest. This doesn’t work every single time.
Some days I still avoid things. Some days I set the timer for 10 minutes and then… don’t actually start. Some days I open the document and then immediately find twelve other things that suddenly feel more important.
That’s fine. I’m not trying to be perfect at this. I’m just trying to make starting feel a little less hard.
And most of the time? It helps.
If you’re someone who also struggles with that heavy feeling of starting, maybe this will help you too.
You don’t need to overhaul your whole approach to work. You don’t need to become more disciplined or more focused or more motivated.
You just need to make starting so small that it feels possible.
Open the document. Type one sentence. Set a timer for 10 minutes.
That’s it.
See what happens.
Want more simple, realistic tips like this?
I share quick, helpful ideas every week to make life feel a little easier… no pressure, no perfection required. Download my free guide: 5 Life Upgrades in 5 Minutes and get started today.
And if you want even more support redesigning the things that feel hard, check out my guide Designed for Real Life. It’s all about making life work for you, not the other way around.
What’s one thing you’ve been avoiding lately? (Me? I have a closet that desperately needs attention, but… we’ll get there eventually. Or not. Both are fine.)