There is magic in the number "5" and it starts with being able to communicate it by raising one hand. It is also an easy number of minutes to switch up thoughts or change tasks. The key is that often distractions or stress gets in the way of moving forward on projects or goals.
In his e-news, American author and motivational speaker, Jack Canfield, mentioned a solution, "Whenever I face resistance or procrastination, I use what I call the 5-Minute Rule." As Canfield said, "Something amazing happens once you begin. The fear disappears, and momentum takes over. AND you almost always go longer than five minutes, and even if you don't, you've still broken inertia."*
To me, the five minutes makes sense to switch up my brain, but everyone likes to use different techniques. To be more actionable, I tweaked Canfield's from "rule" to "action."
Try This: 5 Minutes of Action
When you act, even imperfectly, the universe meets you halfway. Doors open. Confidence grows. The next step becomes clear. For this week, try some things like:
- Write or journal for five minutes.
- Make calls for five minutes.
- Clean your workspace for five minutes.
- Get up and walk outside for five minutes.
- Meditate for five minutes.
Following Canfield's idea, "Just start...whatever the task is...for five minutes," and you almost always go longer than five minutes, and that's okay! There is definitely a benefit to using the simple technique of a short burst of action to help get moving on a project.
*Jack Canfield e-newsletter, Maximizing Your Potential, January 23, 2026 https://jackcanfield.com/