Trouble making time for work that matters? Try the $10 Game
It’s Friday afternoon and you’re wrapping up your week. You look at your to do list, and after five days of nonstop work, it seems none of your main priorities actually got done. How is this possible?
“Urgent” requests and shifting tasks often pull focus away from high-impact projects. This isn’t just a personal productivity issue – it’s a widespread problem affecting individuals, teams, and entire organizations.
I lead the Teamwork Lab at Atlassian, where our behavioral scientists design best work practices for modern teams. Through our research, we discovered one surprisingly simple solution: budget your priorities weekly, then rework your budget with your manager. We call this the $10 Game, and here’s how it works.
The $10 Game encourages employees to budget their time like they budget their money. Imagine a scenario where you have a limit of $10 to allocate across your various tasks and projects for the week. Ask yourself, How would I spend the money? Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of how to play:
