Use this 20-minute trick to end procrastination and boost productivity

Ever told yourself…

“I’ll start this once I have a clear day.”
“Once I get a full afternoon free, I’ll finally get to it.”
“I just need a 3-hour window to really focus.”

Yep, I get it.

A few weeks ago, I sat down to finally rewrite my keynote descriptions.

(Note: I’m booking for H2 2025 if you’d like to bring me in to speak at your organization. Just hit reply to this email and we can chat!)

I needed to tighten the messaging and reposition them to communicate clear business outcomes.

I knew what I wanted to say.

I even had examples.

But I still didn’t start.

Why? Because I told myself I needed 3 hours to “really dig in.”

To do the kind of meaningful work that deserves candles and silence and no meetings for the rest of the day.

I waited.

And waited.

Until one day, I realized I had 45 minutes between calls.

Not ideal. But I thought, Well…I guess I could just open the doc.

Twenty minutes later, I was in the zone.

Running AI prompts. Rewriting key takeaways. Tweaking hooks.

And suddenly, I didn’t want to stop.

👉 The Problem

We fall for the “All-Or-Nothing” Fallacy:

It’s the lie that deep work requires a big, uninterrupted stretch of time.

So we put off the work that can make the biggest impact on our careers:

The pitch that could land new opportunities.
The product-launch document that positions you for a promotion.
The email that opens a door.

And every time we delay, we miss out—on visibility, growth, and momentum.

We tell ourselves: “I’ll do it later, when I have time.”

But “later” never shows up.

👉 The Big Small Thing

You don’t need three hours. You need momentum.

Here’s how to beat the “All-Or-Nothing” Fallacy:

Step 1: Pick one high-impact task.

Not “clean out inbox.”
Not “brainstorm ideas for ____.”

Pick something that moves your career forward like…

• Write an email to your manager asking for a stretch assignment
• Update your resume or LinkedIn for your next role
• Draft your promotion packet or self-review
• Reach out to someone you want to work with
• Polish your personal pitch or website bio

Step 2: Break it into a 20 or 30 minute chunk.

Most big, scary projects can be sliced into tiny chunks.

Here’s how I broke my tasks down:

• Use Gemini or ChatGPT to shorten a keynote bio from 300 to 100 words
• Review 5 clips from a recent talk
• Draft 1 new pitch for a leadership keynote
• Rewrite 1 outdated section of my website
• Swap out old “preorder now” links to “order now” post-book launch

Your version might be:

• Write 3 bullets for your performance review
• Run 1 AI prompt to improve your bio
• Draft 1 paragraph of your pitch
• Outline 1 big idea for a Q4 project
• Research one person to ask for an intro

Step 3: Close your tabs. Set a timer. Start.

Don’t overthink it.

Open the doc.
Write the first sentence.
Use the next 20 minutes.

You don’t need to finish.

You just need to start.

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How This Helps You Get What You Want

The “All-Or-Nothing” Fallacy keeps you stuck.

Waiting for the perfect time.
Waiting for the big window.
Waiting to feel ready.

But 20 minutes of focused energy?

That gets things moving.

And once you’re in motion, the next step is easier.

So don’t wait for the dream schedule.

Just start.

The future you’re working toward is built in 20-minute chunks