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Five-Minute Hourglass Method
A technique to overcome procrastination by using a physical 5-minute hourglass to commit to starting a task for just 5 minutes, leveraging momentum to continue.
How It Works
Exploits the psychological reality that procrastination is about starting, not finishing. Once you begin, momentum and flow states naturally sustain the work.
Components
Get a physical 5-minute hourglass (not phone timer)
Commit genuinely to working for only 5 minutes
Turn the hourglass over and begin the task
When time ends, assess if you want to continue
Often find yourself naturally continuing past the 5 minutes
When to Use
When facing resistance to starting important tasks, feeling overwhelmed by the scope of work, or experiencing decision paralysis about beginning projects.
When Not to Use
For tasks requiring deep preparation or setup time, when you're already in a productive flow state, or when genuine rest is needed.
Anti-Patterns to Avoid
Example
“You've been avoiding filming a video for days. Set the hourglass, genuinely tell yourself 'just 5 minutes,' start recording, and usually find yourself continuing well past the timer because starting was the only barrier.”