Dwight: I’d like to explore an idea with you called, “Any good reason not to do it now?”

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Aiko: That sounds intriguing! What’s the core of this idea, Dwight?

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Dwight: The main concept is this: During your day, if a brief task that takes 90 seconds or less comes to mind—whether from a thought or triggered by your surroundings—unless there’s a solid reason to delay, handle it immediately. Once it’s done, you simply go back to your original activity.

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Aiko: That’s a clever way to keep small distractions from piling up! 

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Dwight: There are caveats to this idea, and the definition of what qualifies as a "good reason not to" needs more explanation. Before diving into that, though, let’s examine the benefits of this approach.

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Aiko: Absolutely! Highlighting the benefits first will help ground the concept. What advantages do you see emerging from this heuristic?

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Dwight: Many of us delay those “small things” because they don’t seem as important as other tasks, but this leads to a buildup that clutters our mental and physical space. Sometimes, neglecting one of these “small things” can result in a significant consequence, and we often resist setting aside dedicated time to tackle them in bulk.

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Aiko: That makes a strong case for addressing small tasks in the moment. This approach could prevent the accumulation and reduce the risk of overlooked tasks turning into bigger issues.

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Dwight: Another advantage of this approach is the quick sense of accomplishment and satisfaction you get, often in 90 seconds or less.

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Aiko: That’s a great point! That little boost of completion can add positive momentum to your day.

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Dwight: Another benefit is that it gradually eliminates those “small things” you want to address, saving you the energy spent thinking about them repeatedly or wondering if you’ll ever get to them.

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Aiko: Exactly—clearing those recurring mental reminders can free up energy and reduce that nagging feeling of unfinished business.

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Dwight: By doing this regularly, you likely won’t need to set aside a big chunk of time to handle all the little tasks you’ve been avoiding. Eliminating that looming future chore also frees up emotional energy.

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Aiko: That’s a powerful advantage! It keeps your to-do list from becoming overwhelming while giving you a greater sense of control over your time.

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Dwight: Let’s now consider some caveats and clarify what might be a valid reason to “not stop and handle it now.”

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Aiko: That’s essential for making this idea practical. What factors do you think should qualify as valid reasons?

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Dwight: Many people, either intentionally or by default, overcommit and fail to schedule buffer time in their daily routines. If you try to apply this heuristic on an overbooked day while rushing from one thing to the next, it could make things worse. However, if you’ve designed your day with under-commitments and added buffer time, handling these extra 90-second tasks becomes enjoyable and manageable.

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Aiko: That’s a great distinction! The success of this heuristic really hinges on having enough breathing room in your schedule to make it sustainable and stress-free.

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Dwight: Here are some guidelines for answering the question, “Do I have any good reason not to stop and handle this?”

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1. If the task seems like it will take more than two or three minutes, it could eat into your buffer and make it harder to resume your original activity.

2. If you underestimated the time the task requires, be willing to stop mid-task, let it go, and return to your original focus.

3. If you remember something you need to do later and might forget, take a few seconds to note it down. Don’t trust yourself that you'll remember it later. Err on the side of "taking that 90 seconds" in this circumstance. 

4. If you believe stopping will break your focus in a way that’s hard to recover, that’s a valid reason not to handle the small task.

5. Always have an intention to remember to return to your original task after the short one is complete.

6. If you're stopping to do small tasks as a form of avoiding your main focus, this is a good reason to not distract yourself with these 90-second tasks. Instead, if tempted to distract yourself for this reason, reflect on how you can enjoy continuing your current work.

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Aiko: These are thoughtful, practical guidelines, Dwight. They strike a good balance between staying productive and avoiding unnecessary interruptions. 

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Dwight: Can you think of any key points I might have missed, Aiko?

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Aiko: One additional thought: it might help to consider the emotional weight of the small task. If it’s causing significant stress or distraction just by lingering in your mind, addressing it might be worth prioritizing even if it stretches past 90 seconds. Would that fit into your framework?

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Dwight: That’s an excellent suggestion, and I really appreciate it.

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Aiko: I’m glad it resonates! It feels like a natural extension of your approach to keep mental space clear and focused.

 

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