Alright folks, buckle up. Been getting hammered with questions lately about why I’m suddenly obsessed with the number five. Seriously, like every other DM is asking. So, instead of repeating myself a zillion times, figured I’d just lay out the whole messy process I went through right here.
The Tipping Point
It started last Tuesday morning, honestly feeling a bit overwhelmed. You know those days where your brain feels like a browser with fifty tabs open? Yeah. Was staring at my endless to-do list, buzzing between email and project docs, completely scattered. Suddenly remembered this old chat with a buddy who swore by doing just five specific things each day. Thought he was nuts, honestly. How could five possibly be enough? But desperate times, right?
Diving Headfirst
Okay, so I grabbed my most beat-up notebook – the one with coffee stains, obviously – and forced myself to think. What actually needed to get done, like, really needed it? Not the fluffy “maybe someday” stuff. Ended up listing way more than five things initially. Surprise, surprise. Had to be brutal. Crossed off anything that wasn’t absolutely critical for that one day. Finally narrowed it down to:
- Finish outline for the new project proposal
- Call back Dave about the supplier hiccup
- Actually cook dinner instead of ordering takeout (again)
- 30 minutes of reading that book gathering dust
- Spend 20 minutes actually playing with the dog, not just feeding him
Scribbled these down big and circled them. Stuck the notebook right next to my coffee machine. Impossible to miss.
The Messy Reality Show
Okay, theory is one thing. Practice? Pure chaos, like trying to herd cats. Morning was okay – knocked out the proposal outline fast. Felt like a superhero. Then Dave called. Oh man, that call turned into an epic saga. What should’ve been 10 minutes ate up like an hour. So much for smooth sailing. Started sweating the list.
By the time dinner rolled around, exhaustion hit hard. Takeout was screaming my name. Stared at that notebook. The stupid circled list felt like it was judging me. Ugh, fine. Threw together some pasta – nothing fancy, just edible fuel. Checked that box. Picked up the book. Read exactly 30 minutes. Mind kept drifting to emails, but I kept flicking my eyes back to the page. Felt like wrestling an octopus, seriously. Finally, grabbed the dog’s toy. Twenty minutes of fetch in the backyard. He lost his mind with joy. Honestly? Best part of the whole dang day. Forgot about the inbox completely for a bit.
Why Five Actually Stuck
Woke up the next morning feeling… different. Less foggy. Usually, I just carry yesterday’s unfinished junk into today. This time? Those five things were genuinely done. Kaput. Finished. No lingering guilt ghosts. So, did it again. And again.
Here’s the kicker I learned the hard way:
- Five is small enough to actually SEE: Not some abstract mountain, just a hill. Feels climbable.
- It forces brutal honesty: Makes you ask: “What absolutely CANNOT slide today?” Harsh but necessary.
- Done is better than perfect: Dog playtime wasn’t a marathon, dinner wasn’t gourmet. But it happened. That matters.
- Creates momentum: Actually finishing those core five? Somehow frees up mental space. Less frantic buzzing around.
So yeah, that’s the story. No magic tricks. Just forcing myself to pick the top five rocks every morning and actually put them in the bucket. Simple? Yep. Easy? Heck no. Worth it? Absolutely. Less drowning, more doing. That’s the “why” behind this sudden five fixation. Try it. Your list will look different, but the feeling of actually finishing what matters? That’s universal.
