Some Minutes are Better than No Minutes
Not long ago I was presenting a stress management workshop and one of the participants wanted to fit a bit more “me time” into her day. As the mom of 2 young children and nursing student who also worked full-time, finding time was, no doubt, difficult. She expressed her desire to begin a meditation practice. I’m a believer in baby steps and after probing a bit more about her lifestyle the conversation continued something like this:
I asked, “Can you find 5 minutes a day or per week for yourself?”
“Sure” she responded.
“Great. Start with 5 minutes and make it consistent – whether it’s daily or weekly. Keep the personal appointment.”
“Will 5 minutes even do anything?”
“How many are you doing now?”
“I’m not doing anything.”
“Then yes, 5 minutes will definitely do something. Some minutes are better than no minutes. Over time, you may find that you enjoy the 5 minutes, and you’ll naturally want to increase the time. That’s how you know you’re ready for more.”
“Oh, that makes sense. I always thought I had to do it for longer.”
So often we get stuck in an all or nothing mentality. I even wrote about it last week as I remembered my first time in a gym. I gave up after 6 minutes not knowing that was enough for that day. No one told me! I thought I had to do 60 right out of the gate.
I know some will argue that for weight loss you have to do more and I agree. However, if you’re not used to doing any, then you have to take baby steps when it comes to time, frequency and duration of your exercise. Or for any activity you are learning or trying to improve.
When a marathon runner starts the race at a sprint she’ll most likely burn out. If she starts slow and steady she has a greater chance of success. Same rules apply when you’re starting an exercise program, mediation practice, or even learning a new skill.
Regardless of where you are, start slow and build up. Listen to your body and make sure you’re comfortable with the level you are working at. You’ll know when it’s time to increase. Do you travel a lot? Avoid giving up your routine completely and do something. Used to 60 minutes? Maybe you have time for 20 – take it. You can feel good about doing something. I know I always do. I have always said, some minutes are better than no minutes. Take what you can for the things that matter most.
I agree, baby steps are a great start. I have made the mistake in both marathons that I have run in….starting out at a sprint only to regret it at about 13-15 miles. I can run at a fast pace a bit beyond a half-marathon, after that….. not so fast. Nice post!
I agree. I think starting slow and embracing baby steps are great life lessons. My meditation practice, for example, is never more than 5 minutes a day (when I remember to do it)…yet those 5 minutes ALWAYS are able to set the stage for my day.
Stacey / CreateaBalances last blog post..The Power of Accountability
This is a great point Stacey. I believe it was Confucius who said - “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” Our destination may seem far off, but the only we we’re going to get there are one step after another. Everyone can find five minutes. It may seem insignificant, but it’s not. It’s not, because it’s a start. And, like you said, this could lead to 20 minutes, or an hour, or whatever it takes to accomplish your goal.
I really like how you’ve laid this out - in minutes. I think that makes “it” seem so possible. And that’s what we often need, the idea that we can accomplish something. And I can accomplish 5 minutes of something, even though I may not be able to reach my goal this week, or this month, or even this year. And when we tend to think in “all or nothing” mentality, 5 minutes is an easy “all” to achieve!
Ok, to all three of you - admittedly I wrote out responses and then my computer crashed!! Thank you for sharing your thoughts - and hopefully together we can spread the word so “it” as Lance says isn’t so overwhelming to people. Thank you for your comments!