Today we’re doing a brief review of “the microburst.” This is a simple, doable, motivating solution that can help you to build momentum on projects, tasks, or routines that might feel overwhelming to you.
Essentially, a microburst is 10 minutes of dedicated, distraction-free energy focused on moving you closer to your goals.
Here are a few recent microburst examples from my own life:
(1) Unpacking from a Trip/Cleaning Out My Suitcase
Eric and I just got back from a business conference, and my stuffed suitcase felt pretty overwhelming when I even thought about unpacking it. I took 10 minutes to create simple sub-piles: back to the office, into the bathroom, into the laundry, back to the kitchen, or to put away in the closet. (Then I did just a couple more microbursts to finish it up, and I am now totally unpacked.)
(2) Planning Some Upcoming Events
Eric and I are hosting 4 events in the coming weeks with college students from our church congregation. I needed to coordinate with group leaders who had already signed up, send a reminder email out to a pretty large group of people to make sure they know they’re invited, edit the Google form, update my calendar, and make sure everything felt “done.”
Using the power of the microburst, I quickly opened my computer and set up tabs with my Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Drive, and the Google Form. Within 10 minutes, I got all the details settled, and I was amazed at how quickly it came together. This would have otherwise hung over my head for the whole day. 🙂
(3) Creating a Bonus Class for Four Weeks to Finished
Our recent coaching program has been an incredible experience for our team, and tomorrow I am teaching a bonus class on how to use Asana and Evernote for personal and family work. I know the content really well, but I want to do a great job with the class, so I used “the microburst” and put a quick post in our Four Weeks to Finished Facebook group asking everyone what they wanted the outcome of the class to be (what did they want to know/feel?).
We already have 3 comments on that post with great suggestions! I then spent just a few minutes outlining what I think the most important parts of Asana and Evernote are. What would I want to know if I were just starting out?
Now the class is mostly outlined, I have time on my calendar to work on it tomorrow morning, and my mind feels calm and excited!
What principles will help you with YOUR microbursts?
(1) Make sure any PROJECTS are on your Current Projects List.
If your 10-minute task is related to a bigger project (like organizing a whole room or launching a website or planning a vacation), make sure that project is also listed on your Current Projects List. That will ensure you’ll go back to that list for the “next” next action/microburst.
I keep my Current Projects List on a chalkboard in my office, and I also keep it inside Asana.
(2) Add any additional steps (that aren’t dependent on anything else) to your Next Actions List.
A Next Actions list is a weekly list organized by where you ARE when you’re getting the action done. (Home, Errands, To Discuss, Computer, Phone, etc.) Let’s say you’re in the middle of unpacking a suitcase, and you realize you need to order a replacement item. You could open your Next Actions List, add that task to your “computer” area, and then you keep moving. It’s that easy.
(3) Create calendar triggers to support the completion of your work.
Our brains need to know that when we start a microburst, we aren’t going to open Pandora’s box and then end up with a bigger, more stressful mess. The way we solve that is by adding calendared events/tasks (if necessary) to close the loops.
For example, I unpacked a notebook with all my notes from the conference and my Executive Summary of what I’m going to implement. I need to go through that and integrate my new ideas into my existing project/routines lists inside Asana, and I need it done by tomorrow so I can have clarity moving forward in the month of March.
I simply added a calendar trigger/task to tomorrow’s list, and I’ll do that tomorrow! Now my mind isn’t worrying that I’m going to lose that notebook or forget to process those ideas.
When your mind feels safe, it’s amazing how relaxed and creative you feel!
The fact is that there is a LOT going on in the world and in your life right now. As much as we’d like to hope that “things will calm down,” there’s a 100% chance that challenges, opportunities, etc. are going to continue to come our way. But we don’t have to be afraid of those things. The beautiful thing about life is that every day that we have the privilege to open our eyes, we have the ability to make progress, make an impact, lift burdens, and contribute to the world in our unique ways.
The world needs good, organized people. And I believe as we work together, we can become a powerful force.
Sending lots of love and encouragement!!
Related Links
Waitlist for Four Weeks to Finished
Submit your Microburst Minutes in our special March Challenge!
🌸 I just want to say thank April for all that you do and your passion I hear in each podcasts. The passion of loving guidance to a new way of staying calm focused in the midst of the good the bad and the sometimes unbearable things in what life has placed before us all.
Recently dealing with some family growing pains and I find the 10MMB has become my little anchor. I have made plans to celebrate my daughter’s birthday and that included getting tickets to the concert and hotel reservations. And reserved another hotel hotel stay for when I take my mommy to her doctors appointment for more testing.
Sending lots of love! I know you do a lot to support your family, and I’m so glad this was helpful for you!
We’ve implemented this concept for years, and it seriously works! I find it works exceptionally well when chronic pain is winning, sleep deprivation has my number or it’s just “one of those days” where everything seems to be going wrong. The 10 minute timer concept helps get something done. It also helps kids who struggle with focus. We started at 5 minutes and on rough days go back to that. Ex. Take 5 minutes and put that stack of books back in their proper locations – bookshelf, library box, nightstand. Then they (and you) see some actual progress and it is awesome.
Wonderful!! I love that idea of starting small with your kids. Keep up the great work!
I use this idea with my kids too, although sometimes a time limit doesn’t work because they get distracted and start playing with something they’re supposed to be putting away, so we have burst where I ask them to find 10 things to put back where they belong, or something like that. Such a great tool!
Anna-Katrin, that’s a great adaptation for a microburst. Thanks for sharing!
Could you consider making your training on using and integrating Asana and Evernote available outside of Four Weeks to Finished? Some of us don’t need Four Weeks to Finished but may still find that training useful. Thanks for all that you do.
Rachel, thanks for asking! This particular training will stay with the Four Weeks to Finished membership but there are already some great tutorials on these programs in the STEP Library. Check under the section titled, “Tech Stack.” Asana and Evernote have some great training videos on the respective websites as well. We hope that helps!
I love this because it is so true:
The fact is that there is a LOT going on in the world and in your life right now. As much as we’d like to hope that “things will calm down,” there’s a 100% chance that challenges, opportunities, etc. are going to continue to come our way. But we don’t have to be afraid of those things. The beautiful thing about life is that every day that we have the privilege to open our eyes, we have the ability to make progress, make an impact, lift burdens, and contribute to the world in our unique ways.
Thank you, Sabrina! Such a beautiful clarification on this! It truly is a privilege to live every day to the best of our ability!
Dear April,
I can hardly believe the eerily uncanny timing. I just got home after a looonnng day working on a TV set and thought I’d do a Next Action–that is, listen to this podcast–as I unpacked the mess that was my backpack. As you described how you handled unpacking from your trip, I was having the same experience in real time! As if you’d made the podcast especially for me, and we’re talking directly to me, guiding me to make a pile of wardrobe that needed to be washed, note items that needed to be replenished, repack what I needed for the next job… Thanks so much…for this, for your life-changing program, and for being exactly who you are!
All best, Lauren
This makes me so happy! Way to go, Lauren!!!