As a disclaimer right here, this is not a 5-second rule that’ll automatically make you succeed in life. Instead, this is a 5-second rule that’ll put on the right path!
Earlier this week, I had the chance to attend a seminar with a couple of great Women Leaders who talked about a lot of things including their journey to success, what helped, what is required, and more. Several tidbits from that session have stayed with me and the one that I want to tell you all about today is the 5-second rule!
In life, it’s easy for most of us to give ourselves a goal. Irrespective of whether this is short-term or a long-term goal, this is often the only easy step of the process. One thing that’s almost always difficult is doing what need’s to be done, taking that first step. For example, last weekend, I told myself that during the week I wanted to sit down and write out my blogs for the next week. I remembered the goal every day this week, I often sat in from of my laptop wanting to, and I even figured out a few topics. However, I never did anything during the week. Instead, I’m sitting here on Saturday, finally typing this out. When you think about it, this was a small goal I gave myself since I already knew what I wanted to write about. And yet, I was too lazy to.
Today, realizing that I had procrastinated for too long, inspiration finally struck. I used the rule that I wanted to talk about.
I finished watching the episode of “The Rain” that I’ve been binging on Netflix, I closed Netflix, I closed my eye and I counted to 5 slowly. And before my mind could think of anything after, I opened up WordPress and started typing away.
Seem’s very simple, doesn’t it? And it is. And therein lies the success of the 5-second rule.
All of us have a dozen things we want to do, goals we want to achieve, deadlines we want to keep to, and more. It is often taking that first step where things go awry. But that first step, that’s the most important piece.
After all, once you start the race, the end is the next step!
My example might have been a simple one here, but I’ve realized that this simple rule works even in complicated situations.
What you’re doing here is re-wiring your mind with a simple idea to stop thinking up excuses that you’ll then use to procrastinate. And when you’re done counting to 5 and have cleared your mind, it’s about doing what you need to do before you think of the excuse!
So give it a try in your daily life. Just count to 5 and do that exercise you’ve been putting off, do that homework/office work that’s been pending for a while, read that book you wanted to read, go for that job that you wanted to!
Count to 5! Do it now!
A Different Take 
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