Action Traction

We all have it, that little voice that says “I’d love to try that” or “I wonder what my life would be like if…” and our ego that part of us that wants us to stay comfortable, stay safe, responds with those tired clichés: “I could never do that”, “it’s too late”. “I’m too old.”

In her book, The 5 Second Rule, Mel Robbins talks about taking action on the flashes of inspiration that comes to all of us.

She titled her book The 5 Second Rule because that’s how long it takes to talk ourselves out of taking action. Mel encourages us to count down 5-4-3-2-1 (which interrupts the excuse making pre-frontal cortex) and then move, do something, act on that inspiration.

A flash of “I wish I was more creative” – 5-4-3-2-1 sign up for drawing, painting, or ceramics classes. “I wish I could sing like her” – 5-4-3-2-1 hire a voice teacher near you. “Wouldn’t it be cool to fly a plane?” 5-4-3-2-1 buy that Groupon for a pilot lesson.

Those flashes of inspiration that keep whispering in your head are there for a reason. People will share with me “I don’t know what my life purpose is” or, “I don’t have a passion.”

Sitting on your butt, watching TV and dreaming about the life you want does not make it happen.

You have to be willing to explore and experiment.

You have to be willing to take action and not be tied to the end result but to the action itself.

It’s through doing that the discoveries are made.

5-4-3-2-1 Go!