I'll do anything but this

and research bingo anyone?

I love my bedroom to be tidy. I hate to tidy my room.

These things are both true.

I will literally do anything instead. I’d rather write a 1,000-word essay on how paint dries than tidy my bedroom.

But I want a tidy bedroom.

It makes me feel more relaxed and in control (if there is such a thing), and avoids me having to throw blankets over the wardchair (aka a chair used as a wardrobe) so my online meeting backdrop (have a desk tucked in the corner) looks pro-ish.

So every couple of weeks, I tidy.

Reluctantly, but I tidy.

Over the years, I have resorted to all sorts of techniques to take the edge off folding endless items of clothing. This have included music, podcasts and the occasional audiobook.

My current hack is watching I Am A Killer on Netflix.

One eye on the killer, one eye on the clothes.

I usually set a timer for 20 mins and see how much I get done. I can confirm, as the most annoying and smug productivity gurus foretell, I usually keep going way beyond the 20 minutes, feel better afterwards and realise it was never as bad as I thought.

Maybe doing market research is your equivalent of me tidying my bedroom.

You know you need to do it, it’s the foundation of a good business after all, but you never quite manage to get started (or excited).

If that is you (or even if it’s not to be honest) here are some hacks to make sure you are getting those research tasks done.

1. Set a 20-minute timer
   Give yourself permission to just start. Set a timer for 20 minutes and pick one simple task, like reading 3 customer reviews, scanning LinkedIn comments, or writing down 5 things you’d like to find out about your customers. Yes, you’ll probably keep going beyond 20 mins.

2. Phone a friend
   Pair up with a colleague or business friend and do a “research power hour” together. You can share what you’re focusing on, mute for 25 minutes to work, then regroup and swap one thing you learned. Accountability and shared energy make it way more fun (or tolerable).

3. Gamification
   Create a simple “bingo card” or checklist of micro-tasks (e.g. “Find a competitor’s top FAQ,” “Listen to a customer call,” “Skim 3 Reddit threads on your niche”). Tick off a few each week and reward yourself when you complete a row.

4. Schedule it like a meeting
   Block out a non-negotiable 30 minutes in your calendar once a week for “Customer Curiosity Time.” Give it a real name, not “research,” so it feels more inviting and less like homework. Alternatively, try a longer block of time each month, or a whole day every quarter.

5. Use a ‘low-effort, high-impact’ starter task
   Choose research that’s light but revealing, like using Chat GPT to summarize common customer objections, or asking your audience a one-question Instagram poll. Small wins build momentum.

That’s it for this week. All the love. Until next Monday.

Katie

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My latest (and super cute) book How to Get to Know Your Customer is out on 8th April. If you pre-order the Kindle version today, you can grab yourself one hell of a bargain. It’s currently at 99p!

It's aimed at businesses and freelancers who want a shorter read. It contains 10 simple road-tested market research tools and techniques that big businesses use and which YOU can use immediately. And it'll only take you 6 minutes to master each one.