Getting into “work mode” is pretty difficult, because often we’ll somehow get sidetracked. I often sit down in front of my computer with the notion “of getting work done”. But often I end up doing something entirely different, like reading the plots of the alien franchise on wikipedia. As of recent I’ve been reading lot about habits, and one point that has particularly stuck with me is the benefits of small wins.

A small win is completing a task done that doesn’t require a whole lot of time (less than 20 mins) or brain power. Studies have shown that by accomplishing a small win, your more likely to accomplish additional small wins.

“Small wins are a steady application of a small advantage,” one Cornell professor wrote in 1984.

Not all small wins are born equal. A good rule of thumb is to choose a task that can be repeated daily. You want this small accomplishment to eventually become a habit. So answering emails wouldn’t necessarily be the best choice because you might not always have emails to answer. You also want the task to have some personal value to yourself. Reading for 20 mins listed, as an example below, wouldn’t personally be as valuable to me. Its a task I enjoy, but don’t really relish in having done so.

My personal small accomplishment that I try to do every morning is a simple exercise routine to improve my posture. As someone who cringes at the thought of going to the gym and working out, completing this small step of regular exercise routine is quite the achievement. The warm feeling of doing my exercise routine makes me feel productive and in turn bleeds into the rest of my day. So now when I sit in front of my desk I’m not reading Quentin Tarantino movie plots on wikipedia but getting work done, like writing this blog post.

My personal recommendation is to accomplish your small win in the morning or before you plan to start working. Some examples of small wins:

• Reading for 20 mins
• Make your bed
• Going for a jog (physical activity)
• Draw for 20 mins
• Doing a crossword/ sudoku
• Go for a walk

Posting to Reddit on to promote your business should be done carefully. Redditors are quick to sniff out issues with content and are ultimately the gatekeepers of what gets the most exposure. From my experience, posts from businesses that are honest and provide quality content will do well. When writing a post you need to make it clear that the post is on behalf of your business and not from an untrue source like a customer. Posing as a happy customer can seriously do you more harm than good. Reddit never forgets. Redditors will often take the time to check your authenticity, often looking through your account to check your credibility. Its better to post from your regular account than to make a new account for your business.

Like most people Redditors do not like to be marketed to, there is even a subreddit called /r/hailcorporate to expose suspicious content. To compensate for your marketing you need provide quality content that will intrigue its readers. What distinguishes good content depends on the subreddit, for example if you post on /r/entrepreneur about experiences starting a business it would most likely do well. Depending on what your selling you may have something to offer to niche subreddits. Your story is an important factor to have in a post, it makes your content much more interesting.