Happy Sunday! ✌🏽
Last week during rounds, we introduced the 5-Minute Rule for identifying which task in a to-do list will take about 5 minutes to complete📃. We discussed how the 5-minute rule can be a handy tool in our toolbox for not only getting one thing done, but potentially others as well✅.
But what about those other tasks?🤔
More specifically, what about the tasks we know will take longer, much longer, than 5 minutes?🕐
As I hinted at last week, there's another 5-minute rule that can be our ally in these scenarios🫡. And the idea behind this variant rule is equally simple: Commit to working on that task for 5 minutes.5️⃣
That's it.
We set a timer⌛, play a song🎶, brew a cup of coffee☕...whatever we want to use as our measurement for 5 minutes, and then start doing that task. After 5 minutes, we can stop.🛑
This 5-minute rule stems from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which is a type of psychotherapy that helps people manage their thoughts and emotions by changing their thought patterns and behaviors🔁.
With that background info, it's easy to see why the 5-minute rule would be effective. Rather than viewing a task or project as something that will be daunting or is going to take forever😰, we can reframe our view to something we need to work on for 5 minutes🖼️. And that's something we can definitely do!
If at the end of those 5 minutes we stop and start doing something else, that's still progress made and a definite micro-win🏆. But the more likely scenario is that we'll realize those 5 minutes went by pretty quickly, or we're suddenly in the appropriate mindset and we want to keep at it for a little bit longer🤓.
That's the power that just 5 minutes can have on tackling a big project!🙌🏾
One of the most common areas where the 5-minute rule can be applied is when it comes to studying. Whether it's for the USMLE, COMLEX, or another exam, some days studying seems like the most difficult thing in the world🤦🏻. But by reshaping our perception of studying and making the barrier for entry just a few minutes⏱️, we can find ourselves putting procrastination aside and getting to work, feeling more satisfied and accomplished at the end of the day!😸
So the next time you have a task that seems difficult or longstanding, give yourself 5 minutes to work and see the effect it has on your productivity!
⌛ Perfect Timing: This 5 minute hourglass is a beautiful desk accessory and is the perfect companion for using the 5-Minute Rule and enhancing productivity.
📊 Maximize Your Efficiency: Click here to read about another principle that can help level up our efficiency by cutting out waste.
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