During my Hep C treatment in 2012 my energy fluctuated a great deal. Fatigue was my normal state for almost a year. Chronic fatigue can begin to bring you down mentally. I am a project oriented gal. My deep desire to work on projects and even normal daily activities were there, but my body wasn’t cooperating.

For most Hep C treatment today, fatigue is still the number one most prevalent side effect. I found the degree of fatigue changes daily, sometimes hourly. I had to find a way to balance getting the rest I needed during Hep C treatment and getting things done. I began to look at my projects through a different lens. I found a good remedy for keeping my thoughts active.

Most of what I needed to do seemed larger than my energy reserves, much like the size of an elephant. I began to think, “If my projects were as large as an elephant, How would I move an elephant out of a room? One step at a time!” That’s when I came up with Elephant Tracks and the Power of 15 minutes.

It’s a great way to be proactive, keep moving forward and accomplishing something positive without pooping you out. It’s also a great tool to use with your Habit Trackers and Smart Goals.

Mozart once said, “The shorter way to do many things is to do only one thing at a time.”

I have a variety of projects that always seem to pile up, some big, some small. Can you relate? I often like to break up my projects into doable steps that help me take action and get things accomplished. I began to think of my projects like having an elephant in the room. They are often big, and make you feel overwhelmed.  Do you have some projects you’ve had on the back burner because you dread working on them?

Elephant tracks are steps you break down in small time frame segments like 15 minutes at a time. Set a schedule to consistently work on your elephant tracks and before you know it, you’ve walked it out of the room and completed your project.  In using the power of 15 minutes, you get more done in a small time frame.

Knowing my energy and concentration level fluctuated while on treatment, this was  another great way to use the power of 15 minutes to my advantage. You can make some major Elephant Tracks in a small amount of time. I once cleaned out my entire garage by this method.

Here’s how this works, you may not have enough energy or time for 1 hour or even 30 minutes to accomplish a big task, but. . .

15 minutes is one quarter of an hour. That may not sound like a lot but trust me, it adds up quickly and makes you feel so good. If you worked on your project for 4-15 minute segments, you would have accomplished a lot which adds up to 1 hour.

You will see very quickly how powerful 15 minutes can be.

It’s a huge boost mentally. No matter what you feel like or what kind of day you’re having, this is a great bad mood buster! It feels so great to get something accomplished.

I choose one area or project I’d like to work on, set the minute timer for 15 minutes, then dive in. The minute timer is your friend. Try not to answer the phone, or have any interruptions during this time or the time lost does not count. Be relentless and diligent to your Powerful 15 minutes. You will be surprised how much you can accomplish and how good it makes you feel.

When the timer goes off, if you need to stop, that’s fine. Be proud, you did it! The steps you just made are valuable in many ways. If you need a break, take one then come back later, hit the timer and dive in again. If you can only work on your project once a day, that’s Ok, but try to work for 15 minutes each day. If you did this consistently see how much you would accomplish. Wow!

Your motivation and momentum will build. You can easily incorporate the Power of 15 Minutes into your habit trackers. You will get more done in a small amount of time than you ever did before.

Remember the ol’ saying, “By the yard it’s hard, by the inch it’s a cinch.” This has Elephant Tracks written all over it.

When I was on my Hep C treatment, there were days when I was grateful for enough energy to wash my hair. So even cleaning out 1 cluttered drawer, going through junk mail, cleaning out old magazines is a big deal and you can do it sitting down.

Cleaning out 1 drawer leads to the next drawer, then the closet, then one side of the room, then the other side and before you know it, the entire room is done. Consistent 15 minutes leads to major accomplishments.

Never under estimate the power of small steps, they add up. Did you catch the nugget in this concept,don’t concentrate on what you can’t do, focus on what you can do!

“No, in all things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” Romans 8:37

Michael Hyatt shared these great truths, “Our future is shaped by the actions we take today. Small hinges open big doors.”

Be Diligent and Relentless. By the way, do you know the meaning of these great action words?

Diligence: Persistent, attentive, and energetic application to a task.

Relentless: Unyielding, steady, and persistent.

What Elephant Tracks can you make today? What are some projects where you can use the Power of 15 minutes?

This entry was originally published on Life Beyond Hepatitis C, March 2, 2016 and is reprinted with permission.