Today we explore how Mel Robbins 5 second rule boosts productivity and delve into how
you can stop procrastination using it.
[Intro]
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Last time we explored how Mel Robbins, author of the 5 second rule, used the rule herself
to turn her life around from being someone who was struggling in her personal circumstances
to becoming one of the most inspiring speakers in the world today.
She's helped millions with what is an extremely simple principle.
So today, we explore how the 5 second rule works to boost productivity.
1) The 5 second rule pushes you to take action.
The most obvious benefit of the 5 second rule is that it pushes you to take action.
Many try to motivate themselves to take action and while motivation is great for the short
term, in the long term it won't be sustainable and you're likely to hit burnout as it takes
a lot of energy to keep motivation levels up.
Don't forget, the brain isn't wired to take action to achieve something if you're in a
state of comfort, as it wants to avoid pain and is ensuring survival.
Now you could argue that a long term vision will pull you towards it, and I totally agree.
However, there are times when you may need to push yourself to take the little steps
that add up to achieving that vision.
And that's where the 5 second rule comes into play.
Countdown from 5, and launch into action to make sure your brain doesn't have the time
to stop you.
2) The 5 second rule is a form of metacognition.
One of the reasons the 5 second rule boosts productivity is it's a form of metacognition,
or having the understanding and awareness of your own thought processes.
As mentioned in the first point, our brain is wired to do what's comfortable and ensure
survival.
Now in most cases when you're put in a situation to do something that's perceived to be difficult,
your brain will automatically try to talk you out of it.
With the 5 second rule being a form of metacognition it overrides the process that the brain normally
takes by pushing you to take action regardless.
[Mel Robbins Speaks]
The question is, how does it do this?
You see the process of counting down from 5 to 0 isn't just mimicking a rocket launch
to launch into action yourself, but that process is also distracting the brain from essentially
getting you to change your mind and not do what's hard.
That's where the metacognition factors in, you understand the mind's natural process
and do something to change the outcome.
3) The 5 second rule helps you take control of the prefrontal cortext.
Now the first question many will be asking here is what is the prefrontal cortex?
It is actually really important, as it’s the part of the brain that’s involved things
like decision making, planning, and working towards goals, all the things we talk about
on for achieving success on this channel.
What you need to do is take control of your prefrontal cortex.
And you do this by creating a feeling of control in your life.
This is where the 5 Second Rule comes into play.
When you count down 5-4-3-2-1, what you are doing is taking a deliberate action.
The countdown pushes you out of the autopilot the brain is geared in.
When you act, you’re exercising control and you’re turning on your prefrontal cortex.
Taking actions will make you feel in control of your life and as a result your life will
literally begin to change in every single way.
By using the 5 second rule, you cultivate what researchers call an “internal locus
of control,” which means that you believe you have control over your outcomes and future
success.
This is also why techniques such as journaling or writing to do lists can be so powerful.
Research shows us that those with an internal locus of control are happier, in better health,
more likely to achieve at work, and have lower levels of anxiety and depression.
And the more often you keep in that state, the easier it becomes to keep feeling a sense
of control over
your life.
[Mel Robbins Speaks]
4) The 5 second rule builds momentum.
As mentioned, the 5 second rule helps us develop an internal locus of control, and this state
is easier to maintain as you continually use the 5 second rule.
Why is this though?
To put it simply, this happens because you build momentum.
As in physics, the required activation energy to build momentum is significantly higher
than the required energy to then maintain momentum.
This principle works in all aspects of life.
If you need to write, the act of beginning to write is usually harder than it is to continue
to write once you've begun.
The 5 second rule gives you the initial push, or activation energy, to start a task.
If you then keep using the 5 second rule repeatedly, the momentum you started building the first
time round is significantly easier to keep going.
5) Momentum brings progress.
Tony Robbins often speaks about how Progress equals Happiness, and this is true, progress
is critical to leading a productive and happy life.
This principle is built on The Progress Principle.
Research from the Harvard Business School has demonstrated that making progress, even
if small, is key to productivity and happiness.
The 5 Second Rule helps you to make forward progress every single time that you use it,
which in turn leads to a better mood and improved productivity, making you more likely to keep
using the rule, which maintains the previous point, momentum.
6) The 5 second rule develops a bias towards action.
As your habits change and using the 5 second rule becomes natural, you will act with something
researchers call “a bias towards action.”
Simply put, this means you are more inclined to take action, instead of hesitating and
procrastinating.
The more you exercise that bias towards action, the more you will improve your internal locus
of control and be inclined to maintain momentum.
This also encourages behavioral flexibility, which ties directly into the idea of bias
towards action and locus of control.
Research has shown that your brain never stops growing and you have the ability to learn
new things throughout your entire lifetime.
So as you use the 5 second rule again and again, you will develop a bias towards action,
which soon becomes a habit.
As you create new habits you will become an entirely different person.
Because you learn through the course of life, you can actually develop new neural pathways
which lead to lasting behavioural change.
And from here, your default mode becomes action, not hesitation, all thanks to counting back
from 5.
So use the 5 second rule today and just like Mel Robbins, take it 5 seconds at a time to
change your life to be the one you want it to be.
[Mel Robbins Speaks]
Have
you tried the 5 second rule and if so how is it benefitting you?
Let me know in the comments section below.
If you enjoyed today's video please leave a like to let me know you enjoyed it, share
it with friends or family to educate others and consider subscribing for more content
like this.
Make sure to hit the bell icon to be notified of uploads as otherwise YouTube won't necessarily
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