Mindfulness: Beat Sluggishness: A simple way to boost your productivity

Connect & Grow Magazine: Issue 23 July 2025

As the weather gets colder, we may find ourselves cocooning and slowing down. Our motivation and energy levels might drop. So, how do we keep on top of our ‘to do’ list and make progress on what we want to achieve?

One simple fix is to break your task into something small.

And I mean, ridiculously small. Make your task so small that you can’t argue with yourself that it’ll take too much effort, or you don’t have the time. For example: ‘clean one drawer,’ ‘write three sentences, ‘find the phone number’, ‘step out the front gate’.

You can also set a specific time limit for doing that activity. Be sure that the time amount feels easy. If not, make it shorter.

By making the task small, it reduces the pressure and any resistance you might feel towards the big thing that you eventually want to achieve. Also, once you’ve started, you’re more likely to keep going.

This approach can work in either a work or home setting. Where you have deadlines with shorter timeframes, you may have to regroup after a short break to start another small task until you build up momentum.

It’s also useful for starting new habits. The idea is that you do the small task regularly so that its impact builds over time.

Here’s how I’m using this approach to build a meditation practice to improve my wellbeing. I’ve tried different approaches and find it tricky. I notice that I make excuses about being too busy.

Recently, I’ve committed to sitting still for 5 minutes each day. I’m not even trying to ‘meditate’. My aim is to sit somewhere, close my eyes and not do anything else. I listen to the sounds around me. If I catch myself thinking (which I do), I take a deep breath (not make a big deal about it) and give my attention to the sounds again. (And I get that this type of ‘meditation’ isn’t right for everyone either.)

What I often find happening is that the timer goes off at the 5-minute mark and I’m happy to press ‘repeat’. Sometimes I won’t, that 5 minutes can be tough. And that’s enough.

It’s also useful is to adopt the principle that “Any amount counts.”

At the end of the day, something is better than nothing. When you’ve completed your small task, give yourself a pat on the back for making progress.

It may not be as much as you'd hoped, but it's still something.

It proves that you can do whatever you’re wanting to do.

And you can show up and follow through.

Remind yourself that chipping away at your goal or project consistently over time is more likely to get you there quicker than planning to make a huge effort once in a while (that you might not even end up doing).

Next time you find your energy low or you’re procrastinating, go small and chunk your goal down until it feels easy. Remember any amount counts.

Written by Natalia Walker

Natalia is available for consultations.

Inner Creative 

Email: natalia@innercreative.com.au

(C) Break Free Consultancy 2025

Disclaimer: All information is accurate at the time of publication and subject to change.