The Five Minute Rule.

As the saying goes: “You don’t have to be great to get started, but you have to start to get great.” One of the toughest parts of achieving a goal is getting started in the first place. We don’t get started due to many factors, such as procrastination, uncertainty, inertia, fear, and believing that we have more time. One principle that can help get things done is the five-minute rule. The Five Minute Rule involves committing to a task or goal for at least five minutes. The five-minute rule aims to get you started on a task, and if you don’t find the task enjoyable after five minutes, you can take a break.

You don’t have to be great to get started, but you have to start to get great -Les Brown

The five-minute rule is a strategy that I subscribe to as I use it daily to get things done and implement my deep work sessions daily. I set daily intentions in my journal every morning, and some days, some tasks are tougher to follow through. With the five-minute rule, I can stay focused on a task I am feeling now. For example, I try to write daily on this blog, which is made possible by the five-minute rule. Momentum is the key to following through on most activities. It can be tough getting things started, but with the five-minute rule, you can trick your brain to get started. The more you get things done, the more confidence you will have in your abilities. If you are procrastinating about reading a book, try it out for five minutes. If you don’t feel like writing today, set a five-minute commitment; if you are not feeling it after five minutes, you can stop.

The five-minute rule ¹ⁱ is a simple but powerful technique that encourages you to commit to working on a task for just five minutes. The idea behind this rule is that taking the first step is often the most challenging part of any task. During those five minutes, you focus solely on the thing you’re avoiding, giving it your full attention. Once the five minutes are up, you can decide whether to continue working or to take a break.

Usually, imagining yourself doing the thing that you’re procrastinating from for only five minutes isn’t as horrible as really committing to it. Especially when, in our heads, that commitment feels like ‘doing that thing for the rest of my life’. It’s crucial, however, that you don’t force yourself to carry on working, otherwise the five-minute rule would become a misnomer.

It’s crucial, however, that you don’t force yourself to carry on working, otherwise the five-minute rule would become a misnomer.

Meditations

Daily Calm with Tamara Levitt – Love

Love is like anything that comes and goes. It all starts from within, we can fully receive love from others until we first love ourself. It means not judging yourself for your love status. Remind yourself that your relationship status in no way defines your self-worth. You are complete, whole and wonderful as you are.

I love myself the quietest simplest Most powerful revolution ever. – Nayyirah Waheed

Daily Jay with Jay Shetty – Feeling Struck

Traction: we all need it when we get stuck but rarely think about it. When we feel stuck, we tend to ruminate, spin our tires and go deeper and deeper, dissecting where we went wrong dwelling on our frustration or despair. Desperately trying to dissect the situation that we are in. Whether it is a conscious decision or not, we keep hitting the gas, replaying conversations, second-guessing and self-recriminate.

Instead, we feel stuck or trapped; we need something to interrupt or change the pattern. We need to find some traction. Identify a small objective you would like to pursue, something you can achieve relatively quickly.

Daily Trip with Jeff Warren – Commitment

Podcast