Are you fed up of constantly setting goals and never achieving them? If the answer is yes, then you’re going to love what I’m going to share with you today.
We have all been there, you set a goal and feel really positive, motivated and excited at the thought of achieving your goal, particularly at this time of year. Give it a few weeks, days or even hours and these positive feelings start to drift away, leading to the actions you have been taking, to also fade and for old habits to creep back in.
So what is the secret that I have learned to actually staying on track and achieving the goal you set out to achieve?
The answer is this…to take action when you don’t feel like it. I know it sounds so simple but what I have learned is that most of the time when it comes to actually taking the actions needed, you never really feel like it. In fact, if I only took action when I did feel like it, then I wouldn’t be taking much action at all!
Mel Robbins has a fantastic tool to help you take action when you don’t feel like it and it is something that I find really useful. It is called the 5 second rule. (Details of her book below if you want to check it out). Mel says The 5-second rule is simple.
“If you have an instinct to act on a goal, you must physically move within 5 seconds or your brain will kill it”.
Mel suggests you count down from 5 to 1 and by the time you get to 1 you must move, despite how you feel.
The best thing about this rule is that you can use it with anything that will help you move towards your goal. For example, when your alarm clock goes off in the morning, instead of snoozing, count down from 5 to 1 and when you get to 1, physically get up (this is how the 5 second rule began for Mel Robbins). When you’re about to go on to Facebook or Instagram in the evening… 5 to 1… get up and head out for that walk you said you were going to do.
It’s such a simple rule that I really wanted to share as it is something that I often use if I have set a new goal or if my aim is to maintain where I am at, because that still requires action.
So instead of practicing the habit of acting, only when you feel like it, start acting when you don’t feel like it and notice what happens when it comes to achieving your goal.
I really hope you have found this valuable and if you have any questions at all, we would love to hear from you!
To your health and happiness,
Áine & Sarah x
The 5 Second Rule: The Surprisingly Simple Way to Live, Love, and Speak with Courage: Transform your Life, Work, and Confidence with Everyday Courage. Mel Robbins
