Mel Robbins 5-Second-Science-Backed Rule to Stop Procrastinating

This rule changed the lives of over a MILLION people

We are Christopher Columbus’s in search of the ‘Tomorrow’ we are supposed to start something we have been sitting on.

We all believe we have a higher purpose that makes us special and also makes us eager to keep going.

We all also have ideas that could potentially be massive, but what stops us? Procrastination.

The problem is thinking that we all need to have brilliant ideas day in, day out. But that is not true.

Look at Elon Musk. He had 4 brilliant ideas that ultimately contributed to him becoming the richest person in the world — Tesla, Space X, Zip 2, and PayPal

2 of them are currently well-known and well-used.

Jeff Bezos had 1 great idea. Amazon.

So to put things into perspective, all you need is 1 good idea and ACT ON IT to be set for life.

It might not make you the richest person in the world, but it can put you in a much better position than you expect.

Now we all have ideas — what stops us is procrastination. How can we get around that?

We are all waiting for lightning to strike as soon as we clap. Wouldn’t that be the ideal sign that a certain something is a good idea?

Sorry to burst your bubble, but that won’t happen any time soon.

And no, bulbs don’t light up over your head either, that is all Hollywood.

Mel Robbins on Motivation

Motivation is never there when you need it

If we stall an idea until motivation strikes, we will end up stalling it for a very long time.

That initial seconds of hesitation change everything.

We all have a habit of hesitating. In stead of saying an idea, we hesitate. When we hesitate, it sends a stress signal to your brain. Your brain wonders why he hesitated. He didn’t hesitate when he put on his sneakers, his track pants. Something must be up. So it works to protect you. Something known as the Spotlight Effect. Your brain magnifies risk to pull you away from something that perceives to be a problem.

The thing with motivation is, it contributes to wishful thinking.

If I tell you right now that this idea in your head is worth a billion dollars and prove it to you in a way by making it easy, if I get you convinced, you will start doing it.

That is what your brain does as well. She doesn’t talk about this, but I have experienced it.

Your brain oversimplifies the attainment of a goal. It seems like you have everything figured out.

Then you start doing it, which is good, but reality sets in. It isn’t as easy as you thought and that is when you end up quitting.

So the truth is, motivation is not a friend, even though it feels like one. Like any feeling is temporary and will go, mostly at times you need it the most.

Start before you have time to think yourself out of it

We are all master procrastinators.

When I am working out at the gym I happen to have ideas for articles. I mostly read in between sets, ideas tend to come.

When they come to me, I jot them down as I should.

But when I used to go home after writing them down, I didn’t have much to say.

I thought,

Are the ideas shallow or bad?

Turns out no. Here is how I found out.

This one time as soon as I had an idea about what to write, I opened the notes on my phone, wrote the heading and rambled on and on about it.

I wrote whatever I could think of. It all kept racing towards me.

This time I had not procrastinated.

So what was especially happening was, I was forgetting WHY I had had the idea at the moment as there was space between the time the idea came and me writing about it.

When you start right away, there is also an emotion that comes with it. That uniqueness makes your story stick out and stand different from the rest.

That emotion screams in your words or intent.

Now, I saw myself writing much more than I did before. When I start an article I see it through.

The effect of not procrastinating on writing is evident in other areas of my life as well. I plan on keeping doing it.

I realised I can write about anything as long as I give it focused attention for at least 1 and a half to 2 hours.

It might seem a lot, but after a while, you lose track of time, it feels as if it is flowing by.

Now that you can understand why starting right away is better than waiting, here is how Mel Robbins stops herself from procrastinating.

Mel Robbins 5 second rule

You have a 5 second window to move from idea to action before your brain interferes and sabotages behavior

She calls this a stupid rule that works.

This rule happened to help over 100,000 people from over 80 countries, as well as save people from committing suicide when it was first talked about.

It involves counting down from 5 and then taking action immediately.

Imagine you have to wake up early without hitting that snooze button.

So you wake up, go, 5…4…3…2…1 and jump out of bed.

It is scientifically backed

She made a video addressing people who questioned its applicability

The 5 second rule always works, it is backed by science and has helped change the lives of millions of people

This is what she said about it in an interview;

When you start counting five, four, three, two, one — you awaken your prefrontal cortex. You begin the process of changing. You push yourself in a new direction,” Robbins says

You can also read more about it science-backed evidence here

When you start counting down, you interrupt the habit loops that have formed over the years.

It is used in armed forces and elementary schools to name a few, so make no mistake — it works!

Try it if you procrastinate because if you are human, chances are you do.

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