The most common reason people quit meditation in the first month is that they think they're doing it wrong. They sit, the mind wanders, they get frustrated, they conclude they're 'bad at it.' This is the myth: that the goal is a clear, empty mind.
The actual practice is the opposite. The mind wanders. You notice it wandered. You return to the breath, or the body, or whatever your anchor is. That return is the rep. You're not failing when you notice you got distracted — you're succeeding. The noticing is the entire practice.
Imagine you're at the gym doing bicep curls. You don't get stronger by holding the dumbbell at the top. You get stronger from the lift itself — the contraction. In meditation, the lift is the moment you notice the mind drifted and gently bring it back. The drift isn't a bug. It's the rep.
Five minutes a day is enough to start. Twenty minutes is plenty for the long run. The duration matters less than the consistency. Most apps will hand you a guided session in a foreign accent. Use one if it helps. Drop it when it doesn't.