5 Minutes To Overcoming Procrastination

There is a technique which will easily help you overcome procrastination while getting yourself to take action. We all know that the key to accomplishment is often as simple as getting off our duff. Yet, many are paralyzed by the procrastination bug. They failed to develop the “do it now” habit.

Can you do something for 5 minutes? Consider this question carefully before answering. If you are like most, the natural inclination is to say “yes”. I believe that is a truthful statement. Doing something for 5 minutes is not difficult. We can handle most anything for 5 minutes.

That being said, the next question is why do you procrastinate? Studies show that many of the activities we put off can be completed in 5 minutes or less. Individuals who procrastinate often experience the feeling of overwhelm. They find themselves caught up in a vicious cycle”: putting things off causes them to get overwhelmed while the feeling of being overwhelmed causes them to put more things off. How can you break this trend.

Breaking the procrastination habit starts with handling the tasks which fall under the 5 minute rule. This rule states that “anything I can do in less than 5 minutes gets attention immediately”. It is best to make a list of everything that fits the criteria. Once this list is completed, you begin with the first one on the list. Continue on each item for the next hour.

You will find that you are able to complete 10-12 activities. That is a wonderful beginning. Those who are experts are putting things off might find their list has hundreds of items on it. However, knocking out a portion of them will provide confidence moving forward. Do this everyday for the next 20 days to really ingrain the habit. At the end of that time you will find that you are now an action taker instead of a procrastinator. It is amazing what 5 minutes can do.
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