Here's the thing about making a dent in a chore or task, five minutes at a time:

It doesn't have to go the other way, too.

What do I mean?

Not every five-minute window of time needs to—or even should be—filled.

If you've got something that needs doing, it can get done, bit by bit, in just five minutes at a time.

If you've got five empty minutes, sure, you can fill them by knocking out something on your list.

But also: YOU CAN LEAVE THEM UNFILLED.

Not every moment needs to be productive.

I'll say it louder for the folks in the back: NOT EVERY MOMENT NEEDS TO BE PRODUCTIVE.

(And that's if we're understanding "productive" to mean one very narrow thing involving some sort of doing. Because, in fact, doing nothing can be wildly productive.)

Oftentimes I have many things that need to get done. And frequently, it's during those very seasons of long to-do lists that, should an unfilled five-minute window materialize, I'd rather just sit there than take even the smallest step toward striking something off my list.

I need an empty five minutes more than I need a gold star.

I need space to be more than I need a thing to do.

So, understand that, when I suggest using those five minutes in front of you (versus waiting for the 45 unpromised minutes), it's a nudge to move away from perfectionism; from waiting for circumstances to be perfect before doing the thing you want or need to do.

Equally, I'd encourage you to move away from the perfectionism that argues you should use all your time "wisely" or "productively." That's a kind of perfectionism, too.

So, water your plants if they're thirsty. Five minutes at a time.

And, on the other hand, if you find yourself with a spare five minutes, recognize your own thirst (in all its forms) and tend to it.