The Power of 10 Minutes

We live in a world where everyone is busy, busy, busy. There are too many things to do and our days do not seem long enough to get all the things done. How can we possibly squeeze in anything else?

However, if we really look, we find we do have an extra 10 minutes between tasks. That 10 minutes can be used extremely productively, which has the profound effect of boosting us for the rest of the day. We have the illusion that 10 minutes doesn’t seem like an amount of time to get something meaningful done. So, I did some research and I found a whole list of things we can do in 10 minutes:

• Unload the dishwasher
• Pack a school lunch
• Make a grocery list
• Meditate
• Pick up the toys
• Practice speaking English better

Yes, you can increase your English comprehensibility by practicing for 10 minutes a day. We know improvement does not happen overnight, but by playing with the Blue Canoe app for 10 minutes a day and incorporating this habit into your daily life, you will make tremendous progress.

At Blue Canoe, we have seen the correlation between consistency and making continuous progress. With our player points you can see how many days you have played, and also how many days you have achieved your 10-minute/day goal. This will help you to keep track of your progress toward improving your Pronunciation Score. On average, our learners see a 28-point improvement in their Pronunciation Score in about 3 months of this consistent work.

If there is too much information at once, you won’t be able to absorb everything.

In our app, we focus a lot on repetition. By repeating a particular vowel sound multiple times, your brain gets used to the sound. This also applies to the 10-minutes-per-day rule.  Karen Taylor, co-creator of the Color Vowel® System tells us we need to play for ten minutes a day, and keep our day-streak strong! “Whether we talk about exercise, study, diet, work, or other disciplines, we see that less is more if it is done consistently. A short practice every day is far more effective than longer practices less frequently.” If there is too much information at once, you won’t be able to absorb everything.

This method is what we are striving for, however, the most important thing is to do something every day. Even if you can only spare a couple of minutes in between tasks it will rewire your brain. It will help you make connections and repeat what you have learned. Eventually this will become a habit and it won’t cost you any effort to incorporate practicing in your daily life. Using your time wisely is powerful, it helps you to be more productive, de-stress, and feel better about yourself. The possibilities are endless, all you need to do is to put the first 10 minutes in.