
When you saw the title of this piece, “The Most Powerful 5 Minutes of Your Day,” what came to mind?
If I didn’t know what was about to be covered, I might highlight things like the five minutes of cuddle time I get with my son first thing in the morning, or five minutes of uninterrupted conversation with my husband. But I might also include the five minutes on my morning walk where I do some conscious gratitude reflection.
While these moments are deeply meaningful, I’ve learned that it’s another five-minute increment that can be a powerful gamechanger—it’s the collection of minutes spent tackling what you least want to do that can really make an impact.
But why specifically five minutes, and why something you don’t want to do?
It’s simple. When it comes to the duration, doing something you don’t want to do for just five minutes isn’t enough of a commitment for your brain to get worked up about. It’s a low barrier entry point to taking on something that doesn’t excite you. Plus, you can get more done in that short time span than you ever think is possible, so the time frame can be quite productive. And finally, it’s the initial digging into a task that you don’t want to do that is the hardest part. Once you’ve gotten past the initial resistance, you often find yourself immersed in the task enough to see it through.
On top of that, there are a multitude of reasons why tackling things that you don’t want to do is incredibly powerful. Here are my top four:
Reason 1: It reduces mental clutter
If you’re anything like me, you have a long list of things you need—or feel you need—to get done. And sure, many of those things get tackled with expediency and efficiency, but there are always a few things on the list that get pushed to the bottom repeatedly because you just don’t want to do them. Perhaps they’re boring, hard, or really take you out of your comfort zone. The problem though is that while they may sit at the bottom of your physical list, they sit at the top of your mental list. Week after week, you’re chanting to yourself, “Don’t forget, don’t forget, don’t forget.” This takes up space in your brain and contributes to your sense of mental exhaustion.
Reason 2: It reduces stress and overwhelm
While those unappealing tasks sit at the bottom of your list and you worry about whether you’ll forget them, it’ll ramp up your physiological symptoms of stress. Unfortunately, when something causes you stress, you’re more likely to lean into procrastination and avoidance, which builds more stress, anxiety, and overwhelm. Getting those annoying tasks out of the way will clear your mind, allowing you to let go of that stress, breathe a little easier, and feel less frustrated with yourself.
Reason 3: It builds your confidence
When you finally clear outstanding items from your to-do list that you’ve been avoiding or procrastinating over for weeks or months, you’ll feel such a huge sense of relief that you’ll want more of that feeling. This is likely to inspire you to take on more uncomfortable tasks because you’ll have proved to yourself that you CAN do hard things—this will boost your confidence in your abilities.
Reason 4: It builds trust
There’s no doubt that taking action is empowering. The other thing about doing things despite not wanting to, is that you learn to trust yourself to show up and take action, no matter what! It’s important to remember that you don’t have to like what you’re doing to want the change that it brings. When you learn to dig into the things you least like doing, those things become less hard over time—that’s how habits are made. The more you do this, the more you’ll trust that you can turn hard things into effortless habits, no matter what you choose to take on.
If you’re inspired by the idea of using just five minutes to tackle something from your to-do list, here’s how I approach it:
Step 1: Pick a task that you don’t want to do.
Step 2: Set a timer for five minutes.
Step 3: Dig in and don’t stop until the five minutes is up.
Step 4(a): If, after your five minutes are up, you find yourself in a flow state where you’re focused and compelled to continue, go for it! Work away and enjoy the results when you’re done.
Step 4(b): If, after your five minutes are up, you’re not in the groove, stop and pickup where you left off tomorrow, using another five-minute timer.
The power of setting a timer for five minutes is that it’s not a big commitment for your overwhelmed, procrastination-oriented brain. Five minutes is such a low barrier that you’ll feel okay with starting. Once you get past the initial resistance, the rest often melts away, leaving you filled with motivation and momentum. That’s because getting started is the hardest part!
I can’t tell you how often I’ve committed to just five minutes to get me over the hump of feeling like I don’t want to do something. For example, it’s the only way I’d ever get my business accounting done! I’ve now used this tool enough times in different areas of my life that I’ve trained my brain to just dig into the hard stuff without getting bogged down by the I don’t want to’s. As I tell my son, “It takes more time to complain about doing something than it does to just get it done!”
Once you start to play around with this concept, you’ll realize the opportunities are unlimited—use it to tackle chores, food prep, laundry, work tasks, workouts, etc. Pick one thing to test it out on this week and don’t be surprised when an hour or so has passed and you’re done that thing that you’ve been putting off for weeks. Feel free to report back—I can’t wait to hear about your wins!
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