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Welcome to the Repair Shop.
Most productivity advice is just "how to run faster on the hamster wheel."
We don't want you to run faster. We want you to get off the wheel.
Here are 3 repairs for this week.
1. The Productivity Fix: The "2-Minute" Trap
The Signal:
You get to work at 9:00 AM. You spend "just a few minutes" answering quick emails, Slacks, and filing tickets. Suddenly, it’s 11:30 AM. You have done zero real work, but you feel exhausted.
The Insight:
We’ve all been told to follow the "2-Minute Rule" (if a task takes less than 2 minutes, do it now).
This is terrible advice for deep work.
When you react to every "ping," you are letting other people dictate your schedule. You aren't working; you are just a human router for other people's problems.
The Fix: The "Admin Bucket"
The 2-Minute Rule is a filter, not a mandate.
If it takes < 2 minutes: Do NOT do it.
The Move: Flag it. Snooze it. Write it on a sticky note.
The Execution: batch all of them into a 30-minute "Admin Block" right before lunch. Swat the flies all at once, not one by one.
2. The Life Fix: The "Boring Menu" Protocol
The Signal:
You order takeout on Tuesday night because the idea of cooking feels impossible. You stare at the fridge and feel decision fatigue.
The Insight:
Meal prepping fails because you try to be a chef.
You try to make 5 different meals for the week. That’s not a system; that’s a catering job. You are conflating "nutrition" with "entertainment."
The Fix:
Embrace the "3-Day Monotony."
The Rule: Consistency > Variety.
The Action: Cook a massive batch of one thing you tolerate (e.g., Chili, Chicken & Rice, Pasta).
The Mindset: Eat it for dinner Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.
You just deleted 3 stressful decisions from your week. Boring is efficient.
3. The AI Fix: The "Idea Crusher"
The Signal:
You have an idea for a side hustle. You ask your friends or ChatGPT what they think. They say, "That sounds great!" (Your friends are being nice; ChatGPT is designed to be a sycophant).
You waste 3 months building something nobody buys.
The Insight:
You don't need a cheerleader. You need a "Red Team."
You need someone to tear the idea apart before you spend money on it.
The Fix:
Use the "Solopreneur Simulator" prompt to stress-test your logic.
The Prompt:
"Act as a ruthless Venture Capitalist with zero patience. I have a limited budget and no team. Here is my idea: [INSERT IDEA].
Do not be polite. Tear this apart. Tell me exactly why this will fail based on:
Distribution (How do I get customers for $0?)
Operations (What hidden time-sucks am I missing?)
Competition.
Hurt my feelings to save my wallet."
It’s better to have your feelings hurt by an AI today than by the market in
That's it for this week.
If one of these fixes helped you today, hit reply and tell me which one.
See you next Sunday.
— The FiveMinuteFix Team