Daily Blog #305
What did I just read? Okay, well for starters, I listened to it on Audible, so I didn?t even read it, but still. I mean never in my life have I been more? motivated and inspired by a book. To be honest, I was trying to throw you off a little bit and make it seem like I was about to say something bad about The 5 Second Rule. But the truth is, I am now a Mel Robbins ?fanboy.? Imagine how a teenage girl would react to meeting Justin Bieber. That is probably how I would feel about meeting Mel Robbins.
Okay, well maybe not that much, but the point is that her book and the 5 Second Rule itself has forever changed my life. I am not saying that just to say it. I mean it. Even if you aren?t sold on buying the book, I at least strongly encourage you to research this life-changing rule to see how it could change your life like it has mine.
The 5 Second Rule
The main thing that I really like about this rule is how easy it is for anybody to implement into their daily life.
While living in Boston with her family, Robbins found herself in the midst of a rough patch in life. Her husband was opening a pizza restaurant that started to experience difficulties, and money was running incredibly tight. To avoid pain, and because like money, her motivation was running low, Robbins found herself in the habit of hitting the snooze button over and over and over again.
In trying to change her ways and break free of negative habits, Robbins realized something that every person needs to realize ? we spend too much time thinking, and too little time actually acting on our thoughts.
In studying human behavior, she noticed how critical the first 5 seconds are when it comes to decision making. When we think about doing something, the longer that we wait to do it, the less likely we are to actually complete it. If we act in the first 5 seconds, the more motivated we will be. But every second after those first 5 seconds, our motivation and likelihood of acting slowly disappear.
Robbins originally used this rule just to avoid hitting the snooze button. The minute the alarm went off, she gave herself 5 seconds. 5,4,3,2,1 and boom. Once she got to 1, there was no thinking about closing her eyes, going back to bed, or even thinking about hitting the snooze button. Once she got to 1, she quit thinking and started acting. Her only thoughts ? getting out of bed, and getting a move on with her day.
Once she started to realize the effectiveness of using the 5 Second Rule to get out of bed, she started implementing it into other areas of her life as well, including business. After primarily only telling her friends and family about the rule, word began to spread like a wildfire. How much so? Well enough to make her a New York Times best-selling author who is now traveling the world to speak the importance of the five-second rule to arenas full of eager listeners.
Exactly how did Mel Robbins change her life this drastically over the course of a short few years? By thinking a thought and forcing herself to act on that thought within 5 seconds. No questions asked, it was either act or move on to the next thought that passed through her mind. That?s how.
How the 5 Second Rule impacted my life
I have found myself using the 5 Second Rule, and like Robbins, it starts the moment that my alarm goes off. I have been waking up at 5:15 am every morning to get a jump start on my day, and I will admit that waking up that early doesn?t get any easier. But as soon as I wake up and start to become somewhat functional, I immediately remember the rule. 5,4,3,2,1? and then I just go!
It?s not easy, but when I get to 1, I give myself no other option. Get up and get moving. I know the more time that passes, the more probable it is that I hit the snooze button and fall back asleep. And that is the last thing that I want. I want to get up before everybody else, do the things that I find to be important to my happiness and success, and start working towards my goals before being dragged down by the schedule of others.
Aside from waking up, it has also helped me to live more in the present moment. I often find myself planning for what could happen instead of living in the moment and experiencing the life around me. With the 5 Second Rule, I just act. When I get trapped in my thoughts, I countdown from 5, and I simply focus on living in the moment.
In the short amount of time that I have been following this rule, it has helped contribute to a lot of my happiness. I don?t plan as much as I used to, I have learned to live more in the present moment, and I have been overcoming a lot more of my fears from implementing this rule in my life.
What can the 5 Second Rule do for you
The 5 Second Rule is for anyone and everyone. No matter how successful you are, no matter what you are looking for in life, and no matter how old or young you might be you will benefit from the rule. You will learn to act on your thoughts instead of merely thinking, and you will learn to change your life one decision at a time.
Concluding thoughts
I truly can?t express to you how important I think it is that you take the time to read or listen to this book. Out of every book that I have read so far, this one is not only my favorite, but it is also the most impactful. It has helped me to find more strength and belief in myself, and I have the utmost faith that it will do the same for you!
Michael Bonnell
