Use Five More Rules When You Feel Stuck
It is easy to get overwhelmed by all things. To all the people with whom you have to return (usually with a sad opening line “Sorry for the delay in answering …”). All the words you have to write. All the minutes you promised to run on the treadmill, all the meals you promised to cook, all the clutter in the closet that you were going to get rid of in a few months.
You may have started a mission, but are stuck, paralyzed by the size of the hill in front of you. Instead of giving up, tell yourself five more . In an article on the lost art of concentration , The Guardian explains “five more rules.”
This is an easy way to improve your concentration. It sounds like this: whenever you feel like quitting smoking, just do five more – five more minutes, five more exercises, five more pages – which will expand your focus. The rule pushes you to the brink of frustration and helps develop mental focus. It is a form of learning and also a way to achieve something.
I did it in my own form. I call it “five to thrive” – a silly name, but it stays on. The number five seems manageable. Don’t feel like playing sports? Make five dogs face down. Can’t bring yourself to clean out the entire refrigerator? Remove five items. Are you making fun of the giant, undiscovered novel on your nightstand? Read just five pages. You give yourself a boost – and once you start moving, you most likely won’t stop. (But don’t tell yourself that. Only five. Easy, right?)
The Lost Art of Concentration: Distraction in the Digital World | The keeper