Do you have a mental list of projects that you’re going to do “some day” but just never get around to?
Do you secretly wish you had a cleaner house, a healthier body, or deeper relationships?
The secret may lie in just five minutes.
That’s it.
When my husband first introduced me to his Five Minute Challenge, he didn’t know what he was getting himself into (can you say Honey-Do list?). The premise is simple: if something takes five minutes, don’t write it on your to-do list--just get up and do it right then!
Competitive person that I am, I took him up on the challenge. Here are just a few of the things we did:
- I figured out how to repair my favorite beaded necklace. To think it sat unused in my drawer for two years when all I needed was five minutes, a $0.97 crimp bead, and a YouTube tutorial!
- My husband painted an old picture frame he found in the garage with chalk paint so I could finally start lettering all the pretty quotes I had pinned to Pinterest for months.
- I cleaned out the front gutter. Seriously! It was an eye sore every time I pulled in the drive and all it took was just five minutes!
- We put up a pretty script quote on the kitchen wall that had been bare since we had moved in three years ago. Now I smile every time I see it: “The best memories in life are made when gathered around the kitchen table.”
- I pulled old textbooks off the shelf and listed them for sale online. More whitespace AND fun date night money!
Within two weeks we had accomplished all the things that had been on my mental to-do list, plus we enjoyed quality time together and the rewards of a cleaner house.
Doesn’t that sounds great?
The truth is, the longer we put off these projects, the more likely they’ll gain mammoth proportions, which will make us want to procrastinate even more.
But when we stop overthinking and just take action, we reap the benefits of checking the task off our mental to-do list and enjoying the benefits of a beautified home, a happier life, and deeper relationships.
If you like the idea of the Five Minute Challenge but don’t know where to get started, here are a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing:
Here are a few ideas to get you started:
1. Clean out your kitchen junk drawer. It’s getting hard to shut anyway.
2. Meal plan. Use what you have in the pantry and freezer and come up with creative meals.
3. Slather on a fun-smelling lotion. Because your whole day will get brighter and your skin will thank you, too.
4. Memorize Scripture. It only takes five minutes a day. Try using this app to make it fun and engaging.
5. Clean out your closet. Go through your clothes and donate anything you haven’t worn in a year or try this reverse-hanger trick.
6. Reply to that email that’s on your mind. Stop thinking about it and just do it. If it requires a lengthy reply, send a short note that you’ll reply in a few days. Courtesy goes a long way.
7. Exercise. After 30 days of five-minute workouts, you’ll feel remarkably stronger and healthier. Use the Five Minute Workout app or a simple exercise routine to get started.
8. Pray. Take it to the Lord in prayer, and leave it there.
9. Do a power pick-up of the house. Run around the house with a laundry basket, picking up things that don’t belong in that room and returning them to their proper place. Imagine guests are arriving any minute if you need an extra oomph.
10. Write a letter to an old friend.Because who doesn’t like getting snail mail that isn’t a bill?
11. Give yourself a pedicure.‘Nuff said.
12. Read the Bible. Just five minutes in the Word can transform your day. Try using this app from Proverbs 31 Ministries if you don’t know where to start.
13. Do a brain dump. Everything that’s swirling in your head? Sit down and put it on paper. Then come back to it later.
14. Delete all old emails. Inbox zero is a freeing thing. The delete button is there for a reason. Use it.
15. Read your favorite book. Even just a few pages can put you in a good mood.
16. Weed your garden. Yeah. Maybe not your favorite, but it will look good when it’s done. Plus you’re getting that much-needed Vitamin D. Double win.
17. Write an encouraging note. Your pastor or children’s director could use a pick-me-up. Tell them what you appreciate about them, and take a minute to pray for them, too.
18. Clean out your cosmetics drawer. That eye shadow you’ve had since 1989? Probably a good time to toss it out.
19. Pay the bills. If you have the funds to do it, pay the bill as soon as it comes in the mail. Then relish the feeling of less paper clutter and more brain power.
20. Bring your recipe file up-to-date. Who knows? You may just find new ideas for next week’s meal plan.
21. Call a friend just to say “hello.” Did you smile reading that? Because your friend will smile when she hears your voice too.
22. Take a walk in the park. Get outside. It’s good for you.
23. Free write. Write whatever comes to mind and exercise those writing muscles. Double points if you join an online writing group like this one to give and receive encouragement.
24. Take a cat nap. Whether you sleep or not isn’t the point. Just rest and prop your feet up.
25. Clean out the fridge. Throw out anything that’s expired or fuzzy and add everything else to your meal plan.
I bet you can come up with three or four tasks right now that would make you feel better about life. And if it’s a bigger project? Just break it down into smaller five-minute chunks.
Just five minutes a day can turn your dream into reality. It’s easier than you think!
What are YOU going to accomplish today with just five minutes?
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