The 5 Second Rule: Transform your Life, Work, and Confidence with Everyday Courage

Real confidence is the ability to believe in yourself, your capabilities, and your ideas. It is a skill that everyone can hone through practice. The #5SecondRule, Robbins argues, can give people that extra push toward acting on their convictions without giving in to their fears or hesitations. Robbins underlines that confidence is not a personality trait and that not all loud extroverts are confident in themselves. Similarly, people who are not confident can practice to improve themselves.

A heart-first decision is made when people act upon their instincts without letting their hesitation or fears overrule their proactiveness. Robbins believes that when people hesitate, they are often second-guessing themselves, and such worry is largely unnecessary. Heart-first decisions are made based on what people believe is right, even if they might initially feel out of character or risky. Making these decisions is a demonstration of courage.

Inner wisdom is defined as an inherent instinct, gut feeling, or impulse that exists in every individual and that helps them achieve their goals. Scientifically, it is similar to when the brain sends signals that alert the individual that they are near elements that can help them reach their objectives. Robbins argues that people should learn to trust their inner wisdom to guide them.

In 1954, psychologist Julian Rotter developed the locus of control theory. It demonstrates that people are more confident in their decisions and their future if they believe they are in control of their lives and actions. This can, by extension, contribute to their happiness and success because they feel empowered and are more proactive. The #5SecondRule is designed to help people who feel powerless regain control by encouraging them to act upon their instincts.

Activation energy is originally a term used in chemistry and describes the initial burst of energy required to make a chemical reaction happen. Generally, the initial force required to make a reaction happen is much higher than what is necessary to maintain it. Robbins uses this term to point out that while it might initially feel very difficult for someone to turn their lives around or build good habits out of bad ones, once they get past that first step, things become easier to maintain. The #5SecondRule is a tool that helps people gather enough courage for that initial activation energy.

Robbins separates procrastination into two types: creative and destructive. Creative procrastination is generally positive, as it allows people to take breaks and find new inspiration in their creative work. However, destructive procrastination is generally detrimental in the long run, as it encourages people to put off important work.

Procrastination is not the result of laziness but a tool for immediate stress relief. Procrastinators generally are hard workers. Due to external sources of stress, they decide to put off their work for a short-term boost of dopamine. Procrastination can quickly become a habit that is hard to unlearn. Robbins argues that the #5SecondRule, when used properly, can help people slowly break out of the habit of procrastinating.