We hear this a lot in our everyday lives! Hey do you have 5 minutes for a quick chat? Do you have 5 minutes for quick survey after this call? Can you just wait 5 more minutes? Can I play for 5 more minutes mom/dad?! The list goes on and on. But, what if we asked if you had 5 minutes for YOU. So here’s our question…do you have 5 minutes to dedicate to yourself and your goal everyday? What is one thing you can do for 5 minutes everyday that would help you reach your goal? Now you might be thinking, 5 minutes isn’t a long time, how can I possibly do anything productive in 5 minutes? You’ll be surprised.
Here are a few examples.
If your goal is to have better time management
5-minute actions:
You can spend 5 minutes at the end of your day planning for the next day.
Look at your calendar, write down 3 small action items to accomplish the next day
If your goal is to eat healthier
5-minute actions:
take 5 minutes to look up a healthy recipe for a meal
Take 5 minutes to chop up some vegetables for a meal
Take 5 minutes to put together your lunch for the next day instead of eating out
If your goal is to workout more
5 minute actions:
Take 5 minutes to look up a workout for you to do the next day
Wake up 5 minutes earlier so you can get to the gym on time
Do squats/pushups and alternate for 30 seconds for 5 minutes (phew!)
If your goal is to relax more
5 minute actions:
Take 5 minutes to do some deep breathing before you go into the office
Meditate for 5 minutes in the morning
Stretch for 5 minutes while watching tv
If your goal is to improve sleep
5 minute actions:
Read for 5 minutes instead of watching TV or scroll social media
Do a total body scan for 5 minutes in bed
Set an alarm or notification 5 minutes before you want to go get ready for bed to remind you to wind down.
So, get the picture? Do you think you could do some of these small things? Totally doable right? But here’s the catch, do you WANT to do it? The thing is, if you don’t want the goal bad enough, it’s not going to happen. It’s important to see where you are in the stages of change to assess if you’re even ready to make these lifestyle changes. If you’ve ever heard of the stages of change here’s a recap for you.
Pre-contemplation: The person is not aware of a problem or does not intend to change their behavior
Contemplation: The person is aware of a problem and is thinking about changing, but is not ready to commit to action
Preparation: The person is ready to take action and has started to take steps
Action: The person has changed their behavior for a short time
Maintenance: The person has maintained the change and is working to prevent relapse
Relapse: for life's ups and downs and set backs you may have that may require you to reassess or start somewhere within these stages
So after looking at these, where are you in this spectrum? Are you just thinking about changing a habit? Or are you ready, willing, and able to take action towards the betterment of yourself. It’s super important to be honest with yourself. Maybe you’re working overtime right now, your kids are in 2 sports each and you’re caring for an elderly parent. Maybe now is not the time to train for that marathon, but perhaps now is the time to work on relaxation more. Be honest with yourself, choose a realistic goal based on where you are now, and see where you are on this spectrum of change to ensure that you are successful when you do decide to move forward and go for your goal!
Hopefully knowing that only 5 minutes can help you get there one day at a time, will give you some motivation to try! Feel free to reach out and ask us how we can help … info@vos-fitness.com
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