The Five More Rule: Pushing Past Mental Resistance

With so much distraction around us, focus is slowly becoming non-existent. Attention span is plummeting, and anything higher than a few minutes seems unheard of. In this strange reality, how do we get more done? The Five More Rule suggests we can do more with a little push.

The “Five More Rule” is a simple yet powerful technique designed to help people push past mental resistance and improve their focus, productivity, and endurance. The idea is straightforward: when you feel like stopping a task—whether it’s reading, studying, working, or exercising—you commit to doing just five more minutes, five more pages, five more problems, or five more reps. Now, I must interrupt. The five is an arbitrary number one of the random dudes first using this technique set. You could do 1, or 2, or 3, or any number (although one minute seems too small, so be reasonable). Why does this work?

This method works because of a psychological principle called “the commitment effect.” When a task feels overwhelming, our brain tends to seek immediate relief by avoiding it. However, breaking the task into tiny, manageable extensions reduces the resistance to continuing. Remember the flow state post. That works in a similar way. We, humans, have a natural momentum. Once you start doing something, an extra 5 minutes seems not that. By telling ourselves that you only need to do a little bit more, you lower the mental barrier that prevents you from pushing forward. Often, once you complete those extra five minutes or five problems, you realize you have the energy to keep going longer than expected. This builds your mental endurance. Every time you do this, over time, you will be able to do a task for way longer than you used because of small improvements (which is the premise of Atomic Habits. Check out my review.) 

The Five More rule builds mental toughness and self-discipline in the long-run. It enables you to work for longer, and without loss of productivity (at least in the long-run). All it takes is a single sticky note or mental note that says ”C’mon, just 5 more minutes” or ‘C’mon, just 1 more page”, etc. Focus is a precious thing. Building it is difficult but it is fundamental to unlocking better versions of you.