--- title: "Monday Buzz: 10 Minutes to Greater Productivity" id: "23658" type: "post" slug: "monday-buzz-10-minutes-to-greater-productivity" published_at: "2014-06-16T19:41:14+00:00" modified_at: "2026-03-16T04:17:44+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2014/06/16/monday-buzz-10-minutes-to-greater-productivity/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2014/06/16/monday-buzz-10-minutes-to-greater-productivity.md" excerpt: "Take control of your association's to-do list with a simple practice. Also: Make room for a fresh volunteer resource (hint: they're on summer vacation right now), and keep them engaged." taxonomy_category: - "Fundraising" taxonomy_post_tag: - "Aspiring Leader" - "AssociationsNow" - "donation" - "Fundraising" - "Leadership" - "Mid-Level Professional" - "nonprofit" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Association CEO / Executive Director" - "Director" - "Manager" - "VP" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Monday Buzz: 10 Minutes to Greater Productivity It’s Monday, and the week has scarcely begun, so why not try to take advantage of an efficient tactic to heighten your productivity? *Inc.* magazine contributor Jessica Stillman [digs up a practice trumpeted (opens in a new tab)](http://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/cant-get-started-reaching-goals-try-this.html) by design pro David Kadavy that’s as simple as partitioning 10 minutes first thing each morning to work on one task. “Sometimes, the 10 minutes seems like an eternity. I’m just waiting for it to end so I can eat something or go to the gym,” Kadavy confesses. “But often—actually, usually, I don’t stop after 10 minutes. 10 minutes turns into 45 minutes, an hour, two hours, of nonstop work on one project.” Stillman observes: “Ten minutes is too few for excuses. By setting yourself such a modest goal, you really leave yourself no option but to actually accomplish it.” So that project that’s been sitting on your association’s sidelines for a while, why not give it the 10-minute try? ### Improving Online Fundraising **[How to Create the Ultimate Nonprofit Donation page (opens in a new tab)](https://www.slideshare.net/NetworkforGood/how-to-create-the-ultimate-nonprofit-donation-page)** from **[Network for Good (opens in a new tab)](https://www.slideshare.net/NetworkforGood)** Caryn Stein, vice president of communications and content at the Network for Good, details three keys to improving digital fundraising efforts. For more details, [check out the Network for Good blog (opens in a new tab)](http://www.nonprofitmarketingblog.com/site/3_basic_rules_for_raising_more_online) . ### Other good reads **Summer’s nearly in full swing,** and [VolunteerMatch has gathered some tips (opens in a new tab)](http://blogs.volunteermatch.org/engagingvolunteers/2014/06/13/summer-teens-volunteering-a-combination-not-to-be-ignored/) your association can use to make the most of a valuable seasonal resource: teen volunteers with open schedules. **And when managing volunteers,** how do you prevent them from falling back on a common excuse—”I’m busy”—and curtailing their contributions? [Wild Apricot has some pointers (opens in a new tab)](http://www.wildapricot.com/blogs/newsblog/2014/06/12/how-to-avoid-hearing-i%27m-busy-from-association-volunteers) . **As [MemberClicks’ Christina R. Green highlights (opens in a new tab)](http://blog.memberclicks.com/attracting-millenials-through-storytelling) ,** engaging storytelling resonates with younger audiences, and there are three types of tales in particular that can work for associations. (Thinglass/ThinkStock) [Morgan Little](https://associationsnow.com/author/morgan-little/) Morgan Little is a contributor to Associations Now. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/morgan-little/) Tags: [#Aspiring Leader](https://associationsnow.com/tag/aspiring-leader/) [#donation](https://associationsnow.com/tag/donation/) [#Fundraising](https://associationsnow.com/tag/fundraising/) [#Leadership](https://associationsnow.com/tag/leadership/) [#Mid-Level Professional](https://associationsnow.com/tag/mid-level-professional/) [#nonprofit](https://associationsnow.com/tag/nonprofit/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [Video2025 Summit Award Recipient: Building Owners and Managers Association of Greater Los AngelesOctober 3, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/10/03/2025-summit-award-recipient-building-owners-and-managers-association-of-greater-los-angeles/) - [VideoThe Adaptive Leader: Integrating Values and Strategy to Thrive Under New LeadershipDecember 15, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/12/15/the-adaptive-leader-integrating-values-and-strategy-to-thrive-under-new-leadership/) - [VideoTerin Bates, MBA, CAE, CX-PRO, Shares Her Experience at the 2026 ASAE Annual Meeting & ExpositionAugust 18, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/08/18/terin-bates-mba-cae-cx-pro-shares-her-experience-at-the-2026-asae-annual-meeting-exposition/) - [VideoWhy Give to the ASAE Research FoundationDecember 2, 2019](https://associationsnow.com/2019/12/02/why-give-to-the-asae-research-foundation/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2014%2F06%2F16%2Fmonday-buzz-10-minutes-to-greater-productivity%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !