Sadmin, Author at Simply Organised at 60plus

Break bad habits easily: The 10-minute rule for retirees

Breaking an unwanted habit doesn’t have to be overwhelming. A simple and effective technique is postponing the habit for 10 minutes. This small shift can make a huge difference in changing behaviours and regaining control.

How the 10-Minute rule works

Instead of forcing yourself to quit a habit abruptly, practice delaying it. When the urge arises, tell yourself, “Not now, but in 10 minutes.” This small delay reduces impulse actions and gradually weakens the habit.

Example 1: Reducing screen time

Many retirees find themselves reaching for their phones out of boredom, stress, or habit. Instead of immediately checking notifications, try this:

- When you feel the urge to grab your phone, pause and say, “Not now. I’ll check it in 10 minutes.”
- Place your phone in another room or face down to resist temptation.
- Set a visual reminder on your lock screen, such as a motivational quote or calming image.

After 10 minutes, you may realize that the urge has passed, and you no longer feel the need to check your phone.

Example 2: Cutting back on coffee

If you want to reduce caffeine intake, applying the 10-minute rule can help:

- Place a sticky note near your coffee machine with the words, “Not now.”
- When you feel like having another cup, delay it by 10 minutes.
- Engage in a different activity, like drinking water or stretching, to distract yourself.

Over time, you might find yourself drinking less coffee without feeling deprived.

Why This Method Works

The goal isn’t to completely eliminate the habit immediately. Instead, postponing it weakens its automatic nature. Here’s why this technique is effective:

- Reduces impulsive actions by giving you time to reconsider.
- Breaks the cycle by delaying instant gratification.
- Increases self-awareness of triggers and habitual behaviours.
- Encourages mindful decisions rather than acting on autopilot.

Small delays lead to big changes

By using the 10-minute rule, you take small yet powerful steps toward breaking unwanted habits. Over time, you might even forget to indulge in them at all! Try this technique today and notice the difference in your daily routines.

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What happens after we set ourselves a challenging goal?

The next step is usually figuring out how to achieve it. We identify the actions needed or the behaviours to develop. We might even create a detailed action plan. Then, hopefully, we follow through.

However, as we all know, sticking to our plan isn’t always easy. Motivation often wanes.

One way to boost motivation and willpower is to attach a second desirable outcome to our original goal.

Strengthening motivation with a second goal

Consider these examples:

- Joining a running club improves fitness (original goal) and helps you meet new people (additional goal).
- Decluttering your home creates more space and order (original goal) while clarifying your values and priorities (additional goal).
- Volunteering in a community project gives a sense of purpose (original goal) and helps you build new friendships (additional goal).

Exercise

Think of a goal you struggle to achieve. Ask yourself:

- How could the actions I take to achieve this goal also lead to another rewarding outcome?
- What additional benefits might I gain that I haven’t considered?

Write everything down. Don’t just think about it – put it on paper! Brainstorm all the added benefits that come with working toward your goal.

Then, when motivation dips, remind yourself that you’re not just achieving one goal—you’re achieving multiple benefits at the same time!

My experience with this strategy

I recently used this approach to boost my motivation for writing my weekly newsletter.

While I usually enjoy it, there are times when I struggle. This exercise showed me how many valuable outcomes stem from my writing habit:

- I provide helpful retirement-organising tips to my subscribers (original goal).
- I develop and refine new organising and retirement success strategies (additional goal).
- These strategies improve my coaching sessions (another bonus).
- And they help me simplify my own life (yet another outcome!).

Now, I no longer see writing my newsletter as just a single task. It’s an opportunity to grow, contribute, and improve multiple areas of my life—all at once.

By linking additional meaningful outcomes to your goals, you can do the same!