The Five-Minute Favor

The smallest thing you can do today that actually makes a difference.

a little life tip from one girlfriend to another 🤍

⚠️  A Quick Note Before We Get Into It

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you purchase through them — at no extra cost to you! I only share things I'd genuinely tell my own girlfriends about. 💕

🛒  A Few Things Worth Having for This Season of Life

(real stuff, not just filler — pinky promise)

📖  Give and Take by Adam Grant — the book that started this whole five-minute favor conversation — worth every page

📓  Cute Daily Notepad or Planner — for actually writing down who you want to show up for this week

✏️  A Good Pen Set — because a handwritten note hits different — and you need a good pen for it

💌  Pretty Notecards + Stationery Set — for when you want to send a little note that isn't a text message

☕  A Cute Mug for Your "sit down and think about people" moment — five minutes + a warm drink = the most underrated productivity hack

🤔  Okay So What Even Is a Five-Minute Favor?

I stumbled across this concept from a Forbes article by Kare Anderson and Adam Rifkin — and honestly it kind of stopped me in my tracks because it's so simple it almost feels too easy.

The idea comes from Adam Rifkin, who is apparently one of the most well-connected people in Silicon Valley. And his whole philosophy is basically:

"Be willing to do something that takes five minutes or less for anybody."

That's it. That's the whole thing.

No grand gestures. No clearing your schedule. No buying someone a gift or solving their biggest problem. Just five minutes of your time, your attention, or your effort — for someone else.

And apparently? It changes everything.

💅  Six Things That Count as a Five-Minute Favor

Here's where it gets good — because when I read this list I realized I could actually do all of these. Like today. Right now. Without rearranging my life.

According to the Forbes article, here's what counts:

1.  Leave a Helpful Review

Use a product and leave an honest, specific review. Not just "great!" — but something actually useful. This takes five minutes and it genuinely helps the person who made it AND the strangers trying to decide whether to buy it.

2.  Make an Introduction

Think about two people in your life who should know each other. Send a quick email introducing them with a line about what they have in common. Done. You just potentially changed two people's lives.

(I think about this one a lot as a blogger — connecting people is literally one of the best things we can do.)

3.  Give Feedback on Something Someone Made

If someone shares a blog post, a product, a business idea, a flyer — read it and give them one or two real thoughts. Not vague encouragement. Actual, useful feedback. People are starving for this and most of us are too busy to give it.

4.  Be a Reference

Vouch for someone. Whether that's leaving a LinkedIn recommendation, writing a Yelp review for a small business you love, or simply telling someone "I'd 100% recommend her" — this costs you nothing and means everything to the person receiving it.

5.  Share Something on Social Media

Comment on a friend's post. Share a small business you love. Repost something from a creator who deserves more eyes on their work. (Hi, yes, this is also how blogging works — we lift each other up.)

Five minutes. A few taps. Real impact.

6.  Write a Specific, Genuine Compliment

Not a generic "great job!" — but something specific. "I loved how you handled that situation." "That blog post you wrote last month genuinely helped me." "You're really good at making people feel welcome."

This one is free and it hits harder than most gifts.

🙃  But Wait — Does This Actually Benefit YOU Though?

I know what you're thinking. "Marie, this sounds lovely but I'm already running on empty. Am I supposed to add more to my plate?"

Fair. Here's the thing though — the research (yes, actual research from a Wharton professor) says that consistent givers end up being the most successful people in their networks over time.

Not because they're keeping score. The whole point is that you're NOT keeping score.

But when you're the person who shows up consistently for others in small ways, people remember you. They think of you. They refer you. They open doors for you — not because they owe you, but because that's just what happens when you're genuinely kind without an agenda.

Good will compounds. Slowly, quietly, and then all at once.

One consultant mentioned in the article makes it a habit to do about one favor per day. One. That's it. And he ends every phone call by asking: "What can I do to help you?"

Can you imagine if we all just… did that?

💬  My Honest Girlfriend Take on This

When I read this concept I immediately thought about how much of the blogging and creative world runs on exactly this.

Someone shares your post. Someone leaves a comment that actually says something real. Someone sends you a DM that says "hey I thought of you for this." Someone vouches for you in a Facebook group.

Those people aren't doing huge things. They're doing five-minute things. And those five minutes add up to something that feels enormous on the receiving end.

I also think about this as a mom. What if I raised my boys to be the kind of people who look around and ask "what can I do for someone today"? Not out of obligation. Just out of habit.

That's the kind of person I want to be. And honestly? Five minutes is something I can actually find.

So this week I'm challenging myself — and you — to do one five-minute favor a day. Just one. Text someone you've been meaning to check on. Leave a review for a small business you love. Share a post from a creator who deserves more eyes.

It costs you almost nothing. And you genuinely don't know what it means to the person on the other side.

Go be someone's five minutes today. 💌

xo, Marie

⚠️  Disclaimer

This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a small commission if you purchase through them, at no extra cost to you. I only share things I'd genuinely recommend to my own friends! 💕  The Five-Minute Favor concept comes from Adam Rifkin and was written about in Forbes by Kare Anderson. Give and Take by Adam Grant is a great read if you want to go deeper on this topic.