I didn’t’ make that term up. It’s the title of a book written by Mel Robbins. I’m not going to get into all of the science, which is very valid but it flat out works. I’ve been doing it for a while now with great success. In fact, I used it this morning.
Let me explain. Basically, the 5 second rule is this. Whenever in your gut you know you should do something, you simply count down from 5 and do it. This works whether the thing is big or small. Here are some things you might use the 5 second rule on:
- Getting out of bed in the morning
- Going to the gym
- Not eating something
- Talking to a stranger
- Having a difficult conversation you know you need to have
- Making a phone call
- Asking someone for help
The list can go on. You can almost use it for anything. It’s like a muscle that develops with use. Start with something small like not hitting the snooze.
I’m starting my book tour this week so things are a bit hectic. My plan was to wake up and workout at 6AM. I didn’t get to bed as early as I would have liked. When the alarm started ringing before 5AM, I had second thoughts. My room was a cool 61 degrees and I was snuggled in my covers, oh so comfy. As soon as I went to hit “snooze,” I used the 5 second rule. I counted down backwards from 5 to 1 out loud and shut the alarm off. No snooze. Got a great workout in and ready for the day – A big win!
If you have a thought to act on a goal, you need to take physical action within 5 seconds or the idea will die.
Billy Hofacker – Owner and Transformation Coach at TBBC