The 25 minute trick that actually worked


Three things had been sitting on my list for weeks, Reader.

Schedule a mammogram (hello 40).

Book my annual eye exam.

Reschedule a call with our financial advisor.

Yesterday I finally sat down, set my 25 minute timer, and stayed distraction free until it went off.

That's the Pomodoro method, a productivity tool I use every day.

One task

Twenty five minutes

Full focus

Then a five minute break.

Officially you repeat that four times before a longer break.

I did one round and called it done. It's ok to do it once whenever you actually have the time.

By lunch, all three were done.

Twenty five minutes and a timer were the only things standing between me and a list I'd been avoiding for weeks.

That's genuinely the whole tip.

Grab the timer I use here. Productivity Timer

And this got me wondering about your list and mental load.

What's the one thing on your list you could knock out in the next 25 minutes?
No name attached, this one's just for you to see. Sometimes writing it down is the only push you need to get it done.
Submit

You've got this, mama.

Bree

Bree Vinston

Founder, Mothers And Moms

Mom Life Simplified

Check Out Tools & Resources Here

P.S. If twenty five minutes isn't enough some days and your brain is full with 100 open tabs, I wrote about the full method I use when the list gets long.


Bree @Mothers and Moms

If you're drowning in the mental load of motherhood . . . the endless planning, the invisible to-do list that never actually ends, the feeling that everyone else has it more together than you, you're in the right place. I'm a Georgetown-trained Project Manager and former Fortune 500 IT strategist who traded corporate systems for something way more important: helping moms like you run their homes, plan their lives, and actually enjoy the chaos instead of just surviving it.Around here I take the same tools I used to manage multimillion dollar projects and make them work for real mom life. Birthday parties that don't stress you out. Family vacations where you actually relax. Meal planning that doesn't fall apart by Tuesday. Holiday shopping you actually feel good about. No Pinterest perfection. No judgment. Just practical systems that work, from a mom who gets it and has the credentials to back it up.

Read more from Bree @Mothers and Moms
Two children throwing dry autumn leaves into the air in a sunny backyard

Hi Mama! College football starts tomorrow in our house. Our daughter is around it constantly, cheering before she even understands why, but this season she picked up something new, our alma mater chant. She's spent this entire week walking around yelling "We Are" and waiting for someone to yell back "Penn State." She has no idea what a first down is. Doesn't matter. She's got the chant, and that's enough. Toddlers apparently absorb team traditions faster than they absorb "please don't put...

Hi Reader Okay, I owe you a little explanation for where I've been. Italy. I was in Italy. My daughter ate her weight in gelato, rode trains, planes, and ferries, and watched Vesuvius from her window in Sorrento like she owned the place. It was chaotic, it was magical, and I have zero regrets. Watch the reel here because it says it all better than I can. And yes, I planned the whole thing in a spreadsheet. Because of course I did. ✈️ The Ultimate Travel Planner is here! If you have a trip...

 Best calm preschool shows ages 2-4 - graphic with Daniel Tiger, Bluey, Tumble Leaf, Stillwater, Frog and Toad

Hi friend! Real talk: Have you ever turned off a show and immediately regretted it because your toddler completely lost it? Like, full meltdown. Face on the floor. Screaming like you just told them they can never have ice cream again. Yeah. Me too. Here's what I've learned after way too many late nights reading Reddit threads and watching approximately 47 different preschool shows with my daughter: In my opinion, it's not the screen time itself. It's WHAT they're watching. Some shows wind...