June 2020. Five months into learning piano. Hadn't touched my keyboard in eleven days.
Wasn't that I'd quit. Kept meaning to practice. Had this goal – one hour every day – and most days I just couldn't. Too tired after work. Other stuff came up. And if I couldn't do a "real" practice session, why bother?
Classic all-or-nothing thinking. Almost killed my piano journey.
Then I read about the 10-minute rule. Changed everything.
The rule is stupid simple: commit to exactly 10 minutes per day. That's it. Not "at least" 10 minutes. Exactly 10 minutes, non-negotiable, every single day.
10 minutes is always achievable. You have 10 minutes. You scrolled social media longer than that today. "I don't have time" is never true for 10 minutes.
Starting is the hardest part. Once you sit down, you usually don't stop at 10. I'd say 70% of my "10-minute sessions" turned into 20 or 30. But I never would've started if the commitment was bigger.
Consistency beats intensity. 10 minutes daily for a week teaches more than one 2-hour session on Saturday. Your brain needs repetition over time.
How I structure 10 minutes: Minutes 1-3 warmup – one scale, both hands, some basic finger exercises. Minutes 4-8 focused work – one thing, just one, the smallest chunk that's giving me trouble. Minutes 9-10 fun – something I already know and enjoy. Warmup, work, reward.
The trick that made it stick: I attached it to morning coffee. Coffee maker runs, I sit at piano. Don't have to remember or motivate. Coffee brewing equals piano time. Automatic.
Find your own trigger. After brushing teeth. After getting home from work. The specific trigger matters less than having one.
Results: In the six months before the 10-minute rule, I practiced maybe 3 times a week. Lots of guilt. In the six months after, I practiced every day. Zero guilt. Progress noticeably faster. Consistency made the difference.
Try it for two weeks. 10 minutes a day, no excuses, attached to something you already do.
If you want to expand this into a fuller practice structure eventually, check out building a practice routine. And if you hit a wall where even 10 minutes feels pointless, read about plateaus and staying motivated.