SFH #208: Just 5 Minutes
Making the obstacle smaller 🤏
I did not want to write this morning. I didn't want to work out, either. And most of all, I wanted to avoid diving into the grind of looking for my next job. It's been about eight weeks since I sat on a Zoom call, getting laid off from my idyllic management role at Wix. Now, I spend my days networking, applying, and researching for what's next with the ebb and flow of hope and stress.
And so today, as I ebb, I bring you the 5-minute 'rule.' I was commuting over to my new coworking space (my ideal environment to keep me in the flow of work), thinking about how I wanted to stay outside, go to a movie, sit in the sauna, or go to the grocery store. As I ran through all the versions of not diving into the job hunt, I thought, 'I'll use the 5-minute rule'. I'll do it to dive into the hunt, and to write for some creative spark today.
What is the 5-minute rule?
The idea is joyous and straightforward. If you are putting the thing off or dreading the start of something, try 5 minutes of it. After 5 minutes, you can stop if you want to. Getting started is the hardest part, so we are committing to a shallow barrier of entry to see if we can carry that momentum forward. If not, no big deal, but as I've experienced nine times out of ten, I keep going. Make your obstacle small enough to see how truly surmountable it is.
Try it out today on something you've been putting off, and let me know how it goes. 😉