#Microblog Monday 231: Five More
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I read a little nugget of advice that I like and hate in equal measure. On the plus side, it’s a really easy way to get yourself motivated. On the minus side, it brings up all my feelings over the idea of “just one more bite.”
(No, not just one more bite. When you’re full, you’re full.)
So the idea is that when you’re stuck or dragging, you tell yourself that you’re just going to do five more of something or spend five more minutes. For instance, I’ll just answer five more emails. Or I’ll work on this for five more minutes. The idea being that we can usually handle five more of something and continuing can sometimes get us over the “don’t wanna” hump:
Don’t feel like exercising? Do five downward facing dogs. Can’t bring yourself to clean out the whole fridge? Clear out five items. Taunted by that giant unopened novel that’s been sitting on your nightstand? Read just five pages. You’re giving yourself a jump-start—and once you get going, you likely won’t stop.
What do you think?
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10 comments
That sounds like good advice for someone who sometimes needs to be motivated to do a little more. But some people sometimes actually need to know when to stop. So it’s not universally applicable across people and time and situations. But it IS helpful for some.
So.. I think I’m like you and both like and hate this advice. On one hand yes sometimes a small something is more doable. On the other, well, somtimes done is done.
Also on a different note, why was/is there so much cultural emphasis on one more bite to finish what’s on your plate? Given this country’s issues with obesity and related health problems, I’d think that that would have been de-emphasized and rather directed towards taking less food.
Start before you’re ready, commit to just doing 5 or 15 min, etc. are standard advice for people in academia with a work block. I find them useful sometimes, because often it isn’t really as bad as I’d been anticipating.
(I don’t have a microblog monday, but I would really appreciate any input people have on what to do with our kitchen countertops…)
I have really mixed feelings about that advice. On one hand, often that can get you over the hump of making progress on something. Sometimes, thought, it just isn’t the right time and making the effort won’t make progress or improvement. You really have to know yourself well to know which is which. I don’t think I’m that good even after 39 years of knowing me!
Thanks for the earworm, Mel! My childhood best friend had an old 78 record of a song called “Five Minutes More.” I forget who the artist was, but it was a kind of do-wop/harmony group, like the Four Lads or the Diamonds. I did a search & what do you know, Frank Sinatra did it too! I’m going to have this playing in my head all day now. 😉
Oh, Loribeth! I didn’t have that earworm till she commented about it. When I was little, I tap-danced to this tune! I can still remember the dance.
I also think that starting something for “just five minutes” is more helpful to get to a task I’ve been putting off (because I don’t think I’ve enough time) than insisting I keep doing something that’s not working for me for five more minutes. Stopping too soon isn’t usually my problem. Actually starting is where I have problems. So giving myself permission to do something for only five minutes actually helps is a great idea.
Oooh, I actually really like this. Sometimes the hardest part is getting started, and the 5 minutes, 5 planks, 5 pages, etc. strategy sounds amazing for getting you over the hump. I get hating the “just one more bite,” but I do think there’s a difference between overdoing something and getting started on something you might otherwise procrastinate away. I’ll have to try this!
I feel like this could maybe do the opposite…like just one more, and then I will stop for the day, and that one more and one more just keeps going…it could have a good affect like getting you to do something you need but don’t want to do, but it could also keep you going something you really need to stop doing, depending on your mindset.
Usually for me it’s getting over the hump of wanting to do something and feeling like I don’t have time because I want to break off huge chunks of it at once. Really, reading a few pages here and there is perfectly acceptable and a way to get a book read!
I really like the idea, although I’d need to apply it to motivate me in the first place. Okay, lets just start with 5 squats and pushups. Just 5 minutes of dishes. Vaccume for 5 minutes. I think that’s a great way to get a jumpstart on something you’ve been procrastinating on.