Roya Bloom

You have five minutes. That’s all it takes to change how you make decisions, set priorities, and run meetings.

Warren Buffett, one of the world’s most successful investors, follows a simple yet powerful method known as the 5-Minute Rule—a technique designed to help individuals and teams focus on what truly matters. Whether you’re setting personal goals or optimizing meetings, this strategy ensures time is spent effectively, leading to better decisions and clearer outcomes.

What Is Warren Buffett’s 5-Minute Rule?

Buffett’s approach is all about clarity and focus. It involves:

1️⃣ Taking five minutes to write down your top 25 goals.
2️⃣ Identifying the five most critical ones.
3️⃣ Eliminating the other 20 completely—no distractions, no split focus.

This method forces you to be deliberate about your priorities. The key insight? What you don’t focus on is just as important as what you do.

Why It Works

Many people and teams fall into the trap of trying to do too much at once. The result? Scattered efforts, unfinished tasks, and minimal progress. Buffett’s 5-Minute Rule prevents this by enforcing a laser-sharp focus on what actually moves the needle.

✔ Prevents distraction from less important tasks
✔ Helps prioritize high-impact activities
✔ Increases efficiency and decision-making speed

How to Use Buffett’s 5-Minute Rule in Meetings

Meetings are notorious for wasting time and lacking clear takeaways. Applying the 5-Minute Rule before and during a meeting ensures discussions are focused and decisions are actionable.

Before the Meeting: Set Priorities

📌 Take five minutes to define the meeting’s top objectives. Instead of listing every possible discussion point, choose the top three to five key topics that need resolution.

💡 Ask yourself:

• What are the most critical decisions to make?
• What must we achieve by the end of this meeting?
• What topics can be eliminated or handled outside the meeting?

During the Meeting: Stay Focused

🔹 Limit discussions to the pre-defined priorities. If a new topic arises, assess whether it’s urgent—if not, table it for another time.

🔹 Assign clear action items for each topic discussed. Ensure every participant knows what they need to do next.

🔹 End with a summary of the key takeaways and decisions. If a discussion doesn’t lead to action, was it really necessary?

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Want to Make Every Meeting Count?

For a deeper dive into proven strategies that turn meetings into productive, focused sessions, check out our full guide:
How to Run Meetings That Don’t Waste Time

From Jeff Bezos’ no-PowerPoint rule to Sheryl Sandberg’s role assignment strategy—this article unpacks five high-impact methods that help teams save time and get better results.

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Streamline Your Meetings with Our New Meeting Minutes Template

Want to make your meetings even more organized and actionable? Check out our newly added Meeting Minutes Template in our Etsy shop. Designed to help you capture key decisions, assign tasks, and keep teams aligned, this template is the perfect tool to implement Bezos’ productivity principles.

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