A lot of the shit I procrastinate on has no reason to be pushed off. Most of the tasks I’m too lazy to do take barely any time or effort.
My newest habit I’m building is the “Less Than 5 Minutes” practice. Any time I’m faced with the question “Should I do this now or later?” if it takes less than 5 minutes, I do it now.
Just finished my lunch but don’t want to clean my plate and fork? That doesn’t take more than 2 minutes, so I do it.
Tired after a long day of retirement and don’t want to pick up the clothes I just dropped on the floor? I fold them and put them away or throw them in the laundry basket.
Can’t I just take out the trash later? Uhh, no. I’ll do it now because it takes 30 seconds.
I’m surprised at how quickly the habit has started to form. I’ve gone from feeling dread and annoyance at having to do things immediately to now feeling glad the task is complete. Now I rarely have to even ask the “now or later” question.
It doesn’t take much to pick up after yourself and do the bare minimum to stay tidy and organized. The majority of the time, you can do it all in 5 minutes or less. You just have to train your brain to not question it.
Next time you’re faced with the question of doing something now or later, ask yourself if you can do it in under 5 minutes. If the answer is yes, do it now.
February 21, 2022
