Author and influencer Mel Robbins promotes her 5 Second Rule as a tool to increase motivation and results. Robbins notes that a 5-second hesitation occurs between knowing what we should do and actually doing it. This pause occurs when we stop to think about how we feel about doing something. Robbins believes that learning to take action, no matter how you feel, is the key to success. If you can press ahead during those 5 seconds between thinking and doing, she claims your life will change.
It’s a myth that we only have to do what sounds appealing at the moment. Many would like to spend their day with little umbrella drinks at the beach, but instead we press on and rise from the cozy covers, get dressed, go to work, do errands, and move forward. If we realize that it’s likely we are going to end up doing the undesirables anyway, why not tackle them promptly?
Give Robbins’ theory a try this week. Once you know what you need to do, act on it, regardless of how you feel. Intentionally bypass those 5 seconds of second-guessing that will ultimately cause you to have guilt over not doing things you talk yourself out of.
Source: The 5 Second Rule: Transform Your Life, Work and Confidence with Everyday Courage, 2017
