The 5 Second Rule
There are so many tips and tricks out there that help you grow as a person. Most of them are well known but take an investment of time to see results. I’m talking about things like going to the gym, sleeping well, reading, meditating, and journaling. If you listen to interviews with successful people, these are the habits that seem to pop up in most of the conversations. And if a high performer isn’t doing one of these things, it’s usually for good reason and they’ve at least tried it.
Picking up habits like these is daunting because it’s a long road, there’s a fear of failing and we just don’t know whether we will be able to keep it up. I’m sure there are many other reasons, but there is something preventing us from doing what has been proven to work. This is where a genius habit that I discovered on the School of Greatness Podcast comes in. It’s called The 5 Second Rule and it’s an idea or habit that Mel Robins came up with and I think it’s amazing.
The 5 Second Rule is a simple habit that gets you moving. The basic idea is “If you have an instinct to act on a goal, you must physically move within 5 seconds, or your brain will kill it.” Yes, I know it’s easier said than done, but it has changed the way I approach and think about things. Every day I get so many thoughts about doing something to work towards a goal or something I feel like I should be doing. Before, I would just let the thought pass and carry on with what I was doing. Now, after hearing about this rule I’ve started to question myself and ask why don’t I just start. It’s a work in progress and I’m trying to make it a habit, but in the short time I’ve started trying to use it, I’m already seeing changes.
There are five elements to this simple task of counting down in your head (5-4-3-2-1-GO) that can create some amazing domino effects.
Instinct
First, it’s the instinct, and it’s not just any instinct you feel, but rather ones that have more of a direction to them. Robins is not advocating for people to count down from 5 when they feel like making a big purchase. It’s a bit deeper than that. She defines an instinct “as any urge, impulse, pull, or knowing that you should or should not do something because you can feel it in your heart and gut.” I think we get these feelings more often than we care to remember because we usually brush them aside and carry on with our day. I started paying more attention to these thoughts around the time I bought my camera to pursue videography. It was the first time I’d really invested in myself and taken the leap. It felt good and it led to more thoughts and feelings about which direction I should head in. I’ve slowly started acting on them more and more, I’ve started to trust my instincts.
Your instincts are these urges. They are the “knowing” that you should do something even if you don’t “feel” like doing it.
Goals
A very important part of the rule is that you’re acting on an instinct that’s tied to a goal. Opinions on goal setting vary as well as how clear those goals need to be. I like to view most of my goals as processes with no distinct end destination. This helps me stay on track with the process while being open to deviations and opportunities that come my way. Right now, I know I want to be a skilled videographer, proud of the quality of work I put out there. I don’t feel like I can put a distinct style or genre down yet because my opinions and personal style change frequently as I learn. The only thing that is “fixed” is the process and that’s to create as much as I can. To learn new things from doing and making stuff that isn’t perfect. This is the main instinct that I’m struggling with now. I’ve been using this rule to just film something and not let the urge pass by. I still haven’t got it down and because this is what I want to do the most, it’s the hardest to do. If that makes any sense.
Push Yourself
The third part is about pushing yourself and understanding that you are fully in control of the direction your life goes in. It’s a lot easier to stay comfortable right where we are and I’m not saying that there’s anything wrong with this. I’m just saying that if you do complain about things in your life or you feel the need to change, but nothing is happening, then you do need to push yourself. I want to keep growing and learning as much as I can. I want to be completely different in five years’ time and the only way is to push myself. You are in control of your decisions and the way you react to things.
Move
Moving is a very important part of the 5 Second Rule. Once you have an instinct and start to count down from 5, you need to start moving while you do it. Not necessarily jumping into the actual action, like dropping and doing 20 push-ups. It’s more like when you’re lying on your bed, and you know or feel you should be doing something else. As you start counting down from 5, jump up off your bed and start walking to or picking up whatever you need to complete that task. It could be anything related to your goal including speaking up or holding your tongue. There is a brief window for you to act and so once you have the urge, you should move into action before the window of opportunity passes.
Brain Fights Back
If you don’t act on this urge, count down from 5 and start moving, your brain will kill the thought. Our brains want to keep us safe so they tend to fight against these urges that may make us feel uncomfortable. This safety prevents learning and growth, but it’s easy and that’s why we’re comfortable with it. Our brains have three jobs, narrating our lives and cataloguing memories, operating our bodies, and protecting us from danger. When we have a thought about something we want to do or pursue, but it’s new and we’re uncertain, we tend to hesitate. This hesitation and indecisiveness signals danger and so the thought passes very quickly.
Although this idea isn’t new or revolutionary, I don’t think many people put it into practice. It relates to a previous post I wrote about good things happening when we leave our comfort zone. The 5 Second Rule is so easy to try, and you have nothing to lose. I’m not using it nearly as much as I would like, but even thinking about it has made me more aware when I get these gut-instinct thoughts. I’m going to try and act on them more and more and see what happens. So far, I helped a YouTuber film some content, I signed up for a videography course and I remember the time I chickened out when I saw a great photo but was too nervous to ask the person if I could take their picture. I feel like so many more opportunities come your way if you count down from 5 and act.