Start with 5 minutes
The cure to procrastination
It is easy to get yourself in a situation with too many ideas, too much information, which one to do first, which one to do second and third.
Too bad that none of that help us unless we actually do something. The best plan is NOT the best if it only exists on paper.
Taking a 5-minute action1 will help you commit to a task easier, just because you started. Think about it that way, how many times have you told yourself
I am going to start that diet tomorrow
I am going to clean up later
I am going to read later
only to go back to scrolling Instagram, watch a movie or turn on your PlayStation ?
What these sentences have in common is the “going to” but intention does not equal action.
The 5-minute action
The hardest part is the beginning.
We do not want to get off the bed, because it disrupts our coziness, we are content and secure there, but usually, it is the first five minutes that are actually hard, and then somehow we are actually rolling with it.
A tiny action helps us break out of this procrastination. All we have to do is start.
For someone who has trouble exercising, that might mean getting your outfit on with the promise of taking a five-minute walk around the block,
or
for someone who has a hard time studying, reading one page of a book you just opened might be enough, after all, it’s just 5 minutes… right?
Small actions get the ball rolling.
These five minutes typically lead to five more, and then some. Think of it as a big snowball.
The satisfaction that comes after completing a task makes it easier for us to do keep going, and the more we do it, the better we feel about ourselves.
Most people believe that:
Motivation → Action → Motivation
When in reality it is:
Action → Motivation → More Action
The 5 minutes can become 10 or 30 or 60. Waiting on motivation to get you started is a sure way to sabotage yourself into another “I am going to do it later” cycle.
Applying this to the tasks from above, an example would be:
I am going to make a healthy lunch
I am going to clean one room
I am going to read one page
Be specific with your intentions, break them into small steps, making them easy and achievable.
Worst case scenario, you did what you said you were going to do.
Five minutes still beat 0.
Now imagine learning 5 words of Swahili every day. That will teach you 1825 words in a year.
Imagine if you did 10.
—Hristo
Follow me on Instagram: @hnikolovv
A term, popularized by Precision Nutrition.