Five seconds is all it takes to reach your true potential
Mel Robbins is an author, motivational speaker, life coach, TV personality and CNN commentator. She is an expert on motivation and behaviour. In her book, The 5 Second Rule, she presents the special technique that shares its name with the title..
Using the fields of developmental psychology and neuroscience as her sphere of reference, she explains why people tend to put off working towards their goals and just how easily with this one simple tool, they can let go of their anxieties, go get their goals and lead an exhilarating life. What this tool does is help you take action when required in order to improve your life. By using it, you are able to break free from self-sabotaging routines and become a well-rounded person who exudes self-confidence. Whether it’s fighting an addiction, working towards professional or personal development, starting a new business or working on improving one’s relationships, this versatile tool is deemed useful in a multitude of scenarios.
Everyone has the potential to do whatever they set out to do in life. However, often pesky little feelings like that of fear, anxiety and nervousness come in the way. As we will see, Robbins shares many instances of people who have adopted her technique to get rid of them and have witnessed their lives change almost instantaneously.
The rule is easy to follow. All you have to do is just count backwards in your head: “5-4-3-2-1-GO” and when you hear “GO”, you take the action that is required of you. What this 5 second rule essentially does is that it stops you from getting distracted and keeps you focused on the matter at hand while keeping all your worries at bay.
Summary
5-4-3-2-1... BOOM! Your life just exploded (in a good way). By now, this rule should have lit a firecracker in you and made you want to blast off into the stratosphere of awesomeness. Like think about it: Five seconds? F.I.V.E! That's all it takes to change your life. Not weeks. Not hours. Five Seconds. Will you use your five seconds?
The What, Why, and How of The 5 Second Rule
2009! That’s where it all started! At 41, Mel Robbins was drowning in financial troubles, her career was a mess, and her marriage was on the rocks. And on top of it, she just COULDN’T get out of bed! SO relatable! Like, we know what to do, but we... just... can't... seem... to... do it.And then! Then came the rocket launch. One night, while watching TV, Robbins saw a rocket countdown: 5-4-3-2-1, blastoff! Total lightbulb moment. What if she could...
Finding Courage with The 5 Second Rule
This ever happened: you're sitting at your desk, about to send that important email, but you’re too scared? Or the fear of rejection stops you? Such moments require courage. And courage isn't just for heroes – it's for all of us, every.single.day!! And the 5 Second Rule can unlock this courage within! Let's start with the story of Rosa Parks. You probably know the famous tale of how she refused to give up her seat on that bus in Montgomery,...
The Time Is Always Right To Do What’s Right
The five-second rule is based on the premise of, ‘Don’t think, just do.’ It’s about decision time. When we stop to think about an action, we make way for hesitation to creep in and this in turn, lets anxiety get in the way of achieving our life goals. Take Tom’s story. He's at a bar, eyeing a woman he'd like to talk to. His brain is probably telling him all sorts of things: "It's too soon after your divorce," or...
Should have. Could have. Would have. Did!
You've probably noticed by now, Robbins rule was an inspiration for lots of people. Christine was one of them and here's her story. There she is, in a hot Plano, Texas office, listening to her colleagues brainstorm ideas to win a big contract. As the VP asks for more ideas, Christine freezes. She does have an idea: to create a custom Snapchat geo-filter for their potential client's office building. This means that anyone using Snapchat in their client's building could...
End Procrastination!
Procrastination is quite possibly one of the most common struggles currently plaguing humans! Fun fact? It's not always laziness or poor time management. Sometimes, it's the stress.See, not all procrastination is bad. When you're working on a creative project, taking breaks can actually boost your ideas. Robbins experienced this first-hand while writing. Yes, it took longer than expected, but the result was much better. This is productive procrastination. Then there’s the not-so-great kind of procrastination. Destructive procrastination. You know, when...
Take a Chill Pill
If we asked you to describe the feeling of worry, what’d you say? We’re guessing something like “Worry’s an uninvited guest!” But!!! The thing is we DID invite it. Worrying isn't something we're born with. Nope, we learned it. When your parents told you to not sit too close to the TV, you were getting your first lessons in the art of worry. So, how do we use the 5 Second Rule here? Same with procrastination - i.e. catch yourself...
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About the Author
Fifteen years ago, I hit rock bottom and nearly lost everything I cared about in life. My anxiety was so bad, I could barely drag myself out of bed. Today, I’m one of the most respected experts on change and motivation in the world. Millions of people and the world’s leading brands come to me for advice and science-backed tools to become more confident, effective, and fulfilled.
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