⏰ Kill Procrastination with the 5 Minute Rule

Hey there! Welcome back to The Flow by Flocus. If you’re new around here, welcome! 👋 You can catch up on our previous editions right here.

For this week’s edition: We’re gonna give you the TLDR on the 5 minute rule and how it can completely change the game for your productivity and peace of mind. This email itself won’t even take 3 minutes to read. Let’s get to it.

⏰ What is the 5 Minute Rule?

There’s only one rule with the 5 minute rule:

“If it takes less than 5 minutes, do it now”

You'll be amazed by how many everyday tasks can take less than 5 minutes. Even if it ends up taking you 8 minutes, or even 17 minutes, doesn’t matter — the point is that you got it done.

🧠 Why it Works

• 🛌🤺 It doesn’t let you procrastinate. The rule's simplicity cuts through friction and helps you get started.

• ⏲️ There’s minimal commitment. The short 5 minute investment lowers the stakes and takes the pressure off.

• 🚴 It builds momentum. Knocking things off your list (and quickly) gives you a series of small wins that’ll keep you moving.

Which sounds more doable?

A) Build a successful T-shirt business that makes $100K a month, or

B) Spend 5 minutes jotting down T-shirt design ideas

Case in point 👀 

✨ How it Can Change Your Life

• You’ll get more done. Period.

• You’ll be more focused. With less lingering tasks, your mental bandwidth is freed up for more meaningful work.

• You’ll feel calmer and happier. By clearing mental clutter and meeting responsibilities (especially those involving others), you'll alleviate stress, boost your confidence, and get rid of any guilt about letting people down.

Whether it’s throwing a load of laundry in, paying a bill, or sending an overdue text reply, follow the rule and watch your mental wellbeing and the relationship with productivity completely change.

🚀 How to Deploy It

1. Pick a task. If it's sizable, break it into small, specific, and realistic chunks.

2. Set a timer for 5 minutes.

3. Start!

Once the 5 minutes are up, ride that momentum to the next task. Or, give yourself a quick break — but make sure to have another 5 minute task or two lined up for later.

🤫 Psst: If you made it to the end, here's early access to Flocus beta, our new free, browser-based dashboard for focus and ambience. Featuring Pomodoro, aesthetic themes, and more. Check it out!

We hope the 5 minute rule shakes up your productivity game in the best way possible. Here’s to hacking our way to a more focused, organized, and stress-free life ✨

Until next Sunday,
Flocus Team