How To Beat Procrastination with the 5 Minute Rule

How can you beat procrastination?
Ever tried the 5-Minute Rule?
It can help us beat procrastination.
I used it when I was 16 and didn’t feel like running.
Let’s see how I used it — and how you can use it too.
Just 3 steps.

1.    So, from 14 to 18, I had to run almost 3-4 times a week.
And, as you can imagine, sometimes I didn’t want to.

Here’s what I used to do:
→    I promised myself to run for just 5 minutes.

I would literally tell myself, “I’ll run for only 5 minutes.”
This made the training easier to start.
Why?
Well, because five minutes seemed short and doable.
More doable than those actual 60-90 minutes.

2.    After that “promise,” I just started running
The fact that I knew I had to run for a short time made it less “scary” to start.

3.    Then, after 5 minutes, I used to see how I felt.
If I felt good, I could keep going.
If I felt bad, I could stop, but at least I did something.
In reality, 100% of the time I completed the run.
I’ve never come back home after those 5 minutes.
Maybe after 30-40 minutes instead of 60, but never after just 5.

So, here’s how you can beat procrastination with the 5-Minute Rule:
1.    Promise to work for just 5 minutes
2.    Start the task
3.    Decide what to do next: keep going or stop?

Okay, now your question is:

→    “Why should it work?”

For 3 simple reasons:

1.     Thinking about 5 minutes is easier than thinking about the whole task.
So you feel less worried and scared.

2.    As we know, starting is the hardest part.
Once you start, it’s easier to keep going and beat procrastination.

3.    Doing this regularly helps you get used to starting tasks right away.
Which helps you reduce procrastination in the long run.