The "10-Minute Rule" That Destroys Procrastination

⏳ Read Time: Less than 4 min.

I’m super excited to welcome you to another edition of The Winning Edge. Whether you're leading a team, building a business, or just trying to keep your calendar from eating you alive—this newsletter is your unfair advantage.

Ever felt like you’ve been busy all day but accomplished nothing that matters? You’re not alone. This week, we’re diving into some high-leverage productivity hacks that help you win the day before it even begins.
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This Week’s Insights

✅ The “10-Minute Rule” That Destroys Procrastination
✅ The Ultimate 3-Box Method for Prioritizing Like a Pro
✅ A Brain Hack That Doubles Focus in the First Hour of Your Day
✅ AI Tool of the Week – Your personal meeting note-taker and task delegator
✅ Bonus Tip: What the world’s most productive CEOs do before 9 AM

THE MAIN EVENT
🎤 The Productivity Hack That Gets You Moving

Let’s face it—procrastination isn’t about laziness. It’s often about overwhelm or uncertainty. That’s where the 10-Minute Rule comes in.

🧠 The 10-Minute Rule:

It’s based on behavioral psychology: starting is the hardest part. Once you begin, momentum takes over.

🎯 Why It Works:

• Removes the pressure of perfection.

• Tricks your brain into action.

• Often turns into 30+ minutes of deep work.

Try it today: Open that deck you’ve been dreading or write the first paragraph of that proposal. Just 10 minutes. That’s all.

QUICK HITTERS: Fast Wins for the Week

💡 Tip of the Week:
Use the “3-Box Method”:

• Box 1 = Must Do

• Box 2 = Nice to Do

• Box 3 = Delegate or Delete
  Check your to-do list right now—what’s in the wrong box?

📊 Stat of the Week:
Multitasking drops productivity by 40%. (You’re better off batch-working similar tasks in focused sprints.)

🎭 Power Move:
Start your day by completing one small win in the first 30 minutes—it boosts dopamine and builds momentum.

📖 Recommended Read:
“Make Time” by Jake Knapp & John Zeratsky – Packed with simple, actionable tactics from former Google and YouTube productivity designers.

WEEKLY DEEP DIVE
Productivity Hacks That Actually Work

Most productivity systems fail because they’re too complicated. Let’s keep it simple. Here are three hacks that top performers swear by:

1️⃣ The Daily Highlight: Choose one high-impact task each day. Finish it before noon.
2️⃣ Time Blocking: Schedule time to do real work, not just meetings. Color-code it on your calendar.
3️⃣ Energy > Time: Work when your energy is highest, not just when the clock says so.

🧪 Experiment This Week:
Test a “No Meeting Zone” for 90 minutes in your morning and use it for focused creation or decision-making. You’ll get more done than you would in 3 hours of scattered work.

AI TIP OF THE WEEK

📌 Tool: Fireflies.ai - Meet Your New Chief of Staff

🎧 This smart assistant records, transcribes, and summarizes your meetings—AND pulls out action items.

💼 Why Execs Love It:

• Saves hours on post-meeting notes

• Auto-assigns tasks to your team

• Integrates with CRMs like HubSpot and Salesforce

Pro Tip: Use it during team calls to never miss a follow-up again.

WINNING WITH AI: The Future of Sales Proposals and Presentations

AI isn’t just for tech geeks or big corporations—it’s transforming how we sell, present, and communicate. The best sales teams are already using AI to:
✅ Generate compelling, tailored proposals in minutes (not hours).
✅ Turn data into engaging, visual stories that capture attention.
✅ Automate tedious tasks so they can focus on closing deals instead.

This isn’t the future—it’s happening right now.

Get your copy of my ebook here!

ACTION STEPS & COMMUNITY QUESTION

Pick one productivity hack from this issue and implement it this week.

👉 Did the 10-Minute Rule or 3-Box Method help you take back your time? Hit reply and tell me what worked best for you.

P.S.
Next week, we’re diving into Executive Presence—how to instantly command a room and lead with credibility (even before you say a word). If you’ve ever felt overlooked in meetings, this one’s for you.

Keep building your edge—one conversation at a time.

YOUR OPINION MATTERS!

If you have more feedback or just want to get in touch, respond to this email, and we’ll get back to you!

Thanks for reading!

Until next week!

Mary Beth