So yesterday I stumbled across this Abbi Richards thing everyone’s talking about, right? Honestly, I thought it was probably just more internet hype. But hey, decided to give it a shot since people kept raving.
Started by clearing some space on my cluttered kitchen table. Plugged in my old laptop – seriously needs replacing, it takes ages to boot up. Grabbed a fresh notebook and pen – I still like scribbling stuff down, feels more real than typing sometimes.
What Did I Actually Do?
Okay, step one was super basic: Abbi said just write down ONE small goal for today. Just one. Seemed almost too simple? I almost skipped it thinking ‘this is dumb.’ But no, forced myself. My tiny goal? “Clean that gross junk drawer for 15 minutes.” Yup, pathetic, but that was mine.
Then came step two: Set a timer. Pulled up my phone, set it for exactly 15 minutes. Started the timer, and… actually started cleaning the stupid drawer. Old batteries. Random cables. Coupons from last year. So much crap. Timer went off? Stopped instantly. Felt weird stopping in the middle of the chaos, but the guide said trust the process. Shoved the half-sorted drawer closed. Boom. Done.
What Happened Next?
Here’s the kicker: Later that afternoon, something felt… off. In a good way? Realized I wasn’t dreading that drawer anymore. It was just a thing I partially did. Not hanging over me. So bizarre.
Today I repeated it. Different super small thing: “Reply to only three emails sitting in my inbox.” Again, set the timer. 15 minutes. Started replying. Timer beeped? Closed the email tab. End of story. Didn’t even finish the third reply. Felt almost rude leaving it half-done, but the guide was clear: Stop when the timer stops.
- Felt the itch to do ‘just one more’ email? Heck yes.
- Thought maybe I should sneak an extra minute? Absolutely.
- Actually followed the rules? Annoyingly, yep. Closed the tab mid-sentence on that third email. Kinda frustrating!
My Weird Little Conclusion
Okay, here’s what clicked for me, after doing this dumb little thing twice:
- It felt pointless at first. Really pointless. Cleaning a drawer? Stopping emails unfinished? Felt inefficient.
- But then I realized… this isn’t about finishing. It’s about starting without the giant mountain of dread. That drawer had felt impossible for weeks. Those emails? Stale and overwhelming. Breaking it into 15 tiny minutes? Suddenly doable.
That’s it. No magic bullet. No super secret trick. It’s literally just picking one stupid tiny thing and giving it your whole attention for a stupidly short time. Stop when you say you’ll stop. That’s the entire Abbi Richards thing as far as I can tell. Feels kind of backwards, but somehow… it’s working on my stupid brain. Gonna keep playing with it. Maybe try something else equally ridiculous tomorrow.
