Roundabout Publications

Community magazines for local advertising in Monkseaton, Tynemouth, and Whitley Bay

  • Home
  • Advertising & Prices
    • About Advertising
    • Advertising Prices
    • Advertising Terms & Conditions
    • Deadlines & Distribution Dates
  • Articles
    • By Author
      • Angela Melvin
      • Anne Morrison
      • Carole Saville
      • Charlie Steel
      • David Tickner
      • Geoff Holland
      • Gill Crann
      • Helen Bowman
      • Jenny Foster
      • Katherine Wildman
      • Lesley Anne Collins
      • Terry Took
    • By Topic
      • Adventures of a North Sea Pilot
      • All at Sea
      • Art and Culture
      • Business
      • Entertainment
      • Family Life
      • Food and Drink
      • General Interest
      • Great Days Out
      • Health
      • Local History
      • Pirates
      • Shopping List Shorts
      • Sport and Leisure
      • Technology
      • Travel
      • Walks
      • Young Life
  • About Us
  • Contact
    • Advertising Enquiry
    • Community Entry Enquiry
    • General Enquiry

GENERAL INTEREST: Have you got five minutes?

August 1, 2012

Some years ago I was given an excellent piece of advice: if there is something you are putting off doing, perhaps because you are unsure how to start, say to yourself ‘I will just spend five minutes on it and then stop’. The theory being that once you have taken that hardest step of actually beginning, you will find that you carry on after the five minutes is up. Sceptical at first, I gave this a try and was amused to find it worked.

In my case, I wanted to try a writing class but never seemed to have the time to find one, never mind write anything. With family and a job spare time was usually late in the evening, by which time creative energy had evaporated. However, realising time was passing me by and I needed to make a special effort or I would never do it, I applied my five minute rule and began to look into local classes. Sure enough I found one. Ten minutes later I had telephoned and enrolled and felt much better for it.

As the first class approached, I had doubts. I could find time to go to the class, but what about the actual writing? Standing firm, I realised it wasn’t a question of ‘finding’ time, it was about ‘making’ time. So I went along, and loved it. We looked at a different field of writing each week and got homework assignments. Finding some of these quite challenging, I applied my trusty five minute rule again.

What other motivational tactics could work? A good list is one of the classic tips, somehow helping you feel better by seeing the things you haven’t done yet written down. You then get a sense of achievement as you smugly cross them out, particularly the one you have left until last which is always the worst. While a list may be a ‘stick’, the ‘carrot’ should also be considered. Have you tried promising yourself a treat – a ‘prize’ – for getting something done? It should be proportionate to the task of course, but the more motivation needed the bigger the carrot has to be.

Different techniques work for different people and, as with so many other things in life, often a combination is best. However, we always come back to that crucial first five minutes, even if that’s just the time you give yourself to decide how juicy your carrot will be, or to scrabble in a drawer for a pen to make a list.

One of our homework assignments was to write a magazine article and I wrote a piece about how it was tricky to find time for new things in our lives, but it can be done. What could you do if you gave yourself just five minutes to get started?

by Angela Melvin © 2012

Angela Melvin has lived with her family in Cullercoats for three years. She enjoys coastal walks and sampling the delights at local eateries.

Contact Angela by email at angela.melvin@yahoo.co.uk.

Filed Under: Angela Melvin, Features, General Interest

Small Business owner?

Want to advertise?

The deadlines for the 2020 issues are:

MonthDeadlineDistribution Dates
January 20205th December (2019)27th, 30th, 31st December (2019)
February 20209th January29th - 31st January
March 20206th February26th - 28th February
April 20205th March27th, 30th, 31st March
May 20209th April28th - 30th April
June 20207th May27th - 29th May
July 202011th June26th, 29th, 30th June
August 20209th July29th - 31st July
September 20206th August26th - 28th August
October 202010th September28th - 30th September
November 20208th October28th - 30th October
December 20205th November26th, 27th, 30th November
.

Copyright © 2021 · Roundabout Publications· Log in