You've Got Big Plans, and That's Good. But What Are You Doing in the Next Five Minutes?

Yes, planning is important. But so is every small moment along the way.

The Power of Now

All photos are by the author.

We seem obsessed with hustle culture,

Everywhere I go, I see people so fixated on their grand plans, their five-year strategy, the long haul.

Five-year plans.
Two-year projections.
Quarterly yields.

And all of those are good things to look at, for sure.

Yet, it's the tiny, seemingly inconsequential moments that may hold the key to our eventual success.

So, while there is good reason to focus on long-term plans, the next few moments could be the catalyst for growing success down the line.

But getting started is sometimes hard. We find it to be easier to focus on stuff downstream while escaping the little opportunities right in front of us.

Perhaps we need to hold before we get funding, or we are waiting for the interest rates to fall, or we are finding it difficult to know exactly when or what we need to take that first step.

But we have the next five minutes right now. It is here, now.

And what you do in the next five minutes could be just the thing you need to see a breakthrough, an aha moment, or just another step on a steep trail where every step counts.

Here are a few things you could do in the next five minutes to boldly move yourself forward and escape the chains of resistance.

Micro-Actions:

Reflection:
Spend five minutes reflecting on where you want to be in five years. Not just career-wise, but personally, spiritually, and creatively. Grab a pen, and some gorgeous paper, and make a sketch. Doodle if you need to.

Goal Setting:
Jot down a small, achievable goal. Something as simple as reading a page of a book that inspires you, or sending that email you've been procrastinating on. Small wins, big impact. It can be a tiny action, but it will be a real action.

Learning:
Lean into a quick tutorial or article. The world’s knowledge is at your fingertips; a five-minute video might just spark a five-year journey of mastery. I am learning Figma a tiny bit each day. My friend became a fantastic video editor in a couple of hours a week. There are a billion ways to increase your value and gain experience.

Mindfulness:
Five minutes of mindfulness can recalibrate your compass. Enjoy being present, appreciating the now, while keeping an eye on the horizon. I take little interludes where I listen to a motivational podcast or write down ten ideas in five minutes.

Network:
Send a message to someone you admire or would like to connect with. Seriously, just do it. Relationships are the bridge to future opportunities. Re-connect with an old client with a sincere, “Hey, how ya doin’,” note. Find an email you didn’t respond to and send a reply. Anything you can do to reach out.

The Ripple Effect:

Imagine if you invested just five minutes, every day, into an action with potential long-term benefits. Over a year, that's over 30 hours dedicated to your future self. You could learn a lot of strong, actionable information in 30 hours. A lot.

So as you’re sitting there, maybe finishing up an overpriced coffee, think about how the next five minutes could be just another blip in your day, or they could be the moment you plant a seed of action that begins to grow roots.

Those roots may end up being your foundation.

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When you are ready, here is how I can help you succeed.

Group Mentorship: a small group of photographers who meet to show images, work on their portfolio, and build their businesses with help from a wonderful group. Lifetime membership for one fee.

One-on-one Mentorship: You and me - working together in an intense 6-month push to get you on the way to over $30K in additional revenue. The work we lay down will help you increase and scale your business for years ahead.

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