Are You Stuck?

During this time of year, we are encouraged to set goals, find your why, make a plan, have an accountability partner. These are all helpful and important principles in change. For many of us, the act of starting, taking the first step keeps us stuck. Trying to find the courage to start, to figure out the next step, or even more challenging, following someone else’s plan for us keeps us stuck.

I belong to a professional women’s business group called ASPIRE lead by Christi Hegstad PhD. Certified Business Coach. Along with setting a bold goal for the year, supporting each other, we also read and discuss four books.

Last year, one of the books we read and discussed was The 5 Second Rule by Mel Robbins. Mel went through a period in her life where she struggled: financially, marriage, career, self-esteem and even getting out of bed in the morning. Every night she made promises she would get up when the alarm went off and make the changes she desired. The alarm would go off, she would hit snooze, roll over and lose her motivation to make any changes. She indicated it took her 5 seconds to talk herself OUT of getting up and making changes.

Didn’t feel like it.
The reason she did not get up when the alarm went off is because she “didn’t feel like it”.

Rocket launch
One night, a television commercial caught her attention. It was a rocket being launched into space. She heard the final countdown: 5 – 4 – 3 – 2 – 1, fire. There was action, movement and fire. At that moment she realized she could do the same with getting out of bed and other actions she was interested in making. She tried it that morning and something amazing clicked for her.

5 – 4 – 3 – 2 – 1
Day after day she being to say; 5 – 4 – 3 – 2 – 1 and physically made a move. It started by not hitting the snooze button and getting up as soon as the alarm went off. Next it moved to her career, her family, and how she spent her day.

Say it out loud
The instinct to launch herself out of bed was her inner wisdom talking. Hearing it was the tipping point. For her, following the instructions was life-changing.

Like many of us, every day we say, “Tomorrow I will get up earlier, go to the gym, eat healthier, have a more positive attitude, start on this project”. Then on that day, nothing happens, or it does not happen like we want. Often because we don’t “feel like it”. When have we held ourselves back from taking the next step because we didn’t feel like it?

Mel reminds us, don’t stop and think, don’t over analyze, don’t talk yourself out of it because you don’t “feel like it”.

What will you use the 5 second rule for today or tomorrow? I will use it on my alarm!

If you know of others, perhaps your leadership team or a friend, who would be interested in learning more or receiving this and other blog posts, please feel free to forward to those individuals.

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