The Extra Five Minutes

I believe that a lot can be accomplished in five minutes. It may seem like a short amount of time and it may not seem realistic to accomplish many tasks in five minutes. However, through my experiences I have learned that fast-pace is a way of life.

I first discovered my five minute rule when I was in undergrad at Georgetown College. As a biology major, I found myself constantly studying. This meant I walked around with flash cards in my back pocket, frequently had earphones in listening to lectures, and constantly met with study groups to talk about class topics. On the day of tests I put all other priorities aside and focused on the material to be memorized. In those few moments leading up to the test I would cram as fast as I could. Most would say you don’t retain anything you cram. I would have to agree. I may not have always retained those last five minutes of cramming but I was sure to dump those last bits of info on to my test the moment I sat down.

I later found that five minutes mattered to me in the gym. I became a gym-junkie in college and spent most early mornings working out. I remembered how well the five-minute rule worked for class so I started to apply to my workouts. I made it my personal goal to push myself five more minutes when I felt like I couldn’t run or lift any longer. Because of this rule, my workouts starting getting longer and longer but my body started to finally change.

When undergrad came to an end, I found myself devastated to leave what was my home at Georgetown College. I had lived in the sorority house all four years with the girls that became my best friends. We did everything together from sharing every meal, laugh, and tear, to having random dance parties at four in the morning just because we felt like it. On the day of graduation, my best friends and I huddled together just before leaving the house for the last time. Memories overwhelmed us with tears as we started to head out the door. I looked at the girls and said “ok how about a quick five minute dance party before we go?” They all laughed but yes, we broke it down for a couple of minutes and shared one last belly-giggle in our house before having to walk out and face the real world.

Five minutes can make such a difference in your life. I have learned to cherish every minute as much as possible because you never know when your minutes run out. The extra five minutes are important, This I Believe.