Why do marketers think we can accomplish anything in 15 minutes?
I'm guilty.
For years, I promised results on LinkedIn in just 15 minutes a day.
You CAN get results on LinkedIn in 15 minutes a day, but you have to build a foundation first.
There are countless 15-minute meditations online.
Feel better by doing yoga for 15 minutes a day.
Lose weight by doing this exercise for just 15 minutes a day.
That one makes me think of the ads we see "Take this pill before bed and lose weight while you sleep" but that's another story.
How about "Fill your webinar in 15 minutes"?
Get 10,000 TikTok followers in 15 minutes.
Create an amazing life in 15 minutes a day.
Make money in the stock market in 15 minutes a day.
Write your dissertation in 15 minutes a day.
You've seen the claims.
Why does the promise of 15 minutes trigger a dopamine rush even though we know changing our life takes longer than 15 minutes?
Can you really lose weight by exercising 15 minutes a day?
You may lose a pound or two but focusing on your diet will work better.
I do the Daily Calm on the Calm app for 10 minutes a day and I feel better.
15 minutes of yoga makes me feel better.
When I was writing Ultimate Guide to LinkedIn for Business and Ultimate Guide to Twitter for Business, I was overwhelmed.
I had to write two books in just six months while working full-time and taking care of my ailing mother.
Plus, I had never written a book before.
I used the Pomodoro method which broke down my writing time into 25-minute segments.
Write for 25 minutes, take a 5-minute break, write for 25 minutes, take a 5-minute break.
Chunking down tasks that you think are overwhelming makes it feel possible.
The brain produces a dopamine rush when it anticipates a rewarding experience.
The dopamine isn't created when the reward is received.
The dopamine rush is created when the brain anticipates the reward.
I remember a story from Zig Ziglar.
I think he wanted to lose 20 pounds in six months (I don't remember the exact numbers) so he broke it down into manageable goals.
Instead of focusing on 20 pounds and six months, he broke it down into days.
It worked out to losing three ounces a day.
Anyone can lose three ounces a day!
The anticipation of losing just three ounces a day triggered dopamine because the chunked-down goal felt achievable.
Now we know why the promise of results in just 15 minutes a day gets our attention.
What can you accomplish in 15 minutes?
