Can You Change Your Life in 5 Seconds?

Many of us understand the concept of our “reptilian” brain. This is the part of our brain which protects us from harm. It is often referred to when we stop ourselves from doing something which we fear doing (like asking for a raise, public speaking, or confronting a difficult situation in a relationship). They say our brain is keeping us from harm but when it comes to our modern-day “dangers”, most are not life-threatening. Most are simply uncomfortable.

This information about our brain is helpful only in as much as it allows us to fully understand what’s holding us back.

It helps us understand what’s stopping us from discovering talents we are meant to share, building relationships which will enrich our lives, and exploring adventures begging to be lived during our lifetime.

And, “understanding” is just the beginning of greatness.

By leveraging that knowledge into action you can move forward and get closer to who you are meant to be and the life you truly want to live. With this kind of leverage, you are able to do more than you ever thought possible.

And, it may take as little as 5-seconds!

Don’t believe me? Mel Robbins makes a good argument for propelling your life beyond what seems possible. In her interview she shares these points:

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Your brain is wired to stop you from doing things that will “hurt” you…things that are uncomfortable. So when we hesitate to take action, even for a few seconds, our brain sends a signal of fear to our reptilian brain which then springs into action to protect us. We humans have a habit of hesitation so we are constantly stopping ourselves from doing things. And unfortunately, many of the things we stop ourselves from doing may actually be the very things we need to do in order to achieve the life we really want.

Silence and hesitation are decisions you make – those decisions hold you back.

What would happen if you realized you are one decision away from a totally different life, marriage, financial situation, career, or relationship with your family? Your life comes down to your decisions…when you change your decisions, you change your life.

When you’re scared, afraid, jealous, overwhelmed with emotion it is so much easier to point your finger at other people. That’s a decision…one you may not be aware you are making, but you’re making it.

None of us wake up with the thought “Today is the day I’m going to destroy my life….”

What we do is check out because we are afraid, feel overwhelmed, are filled with self-doubt. Then we start to make these little decisions that take you so far off track that you’re not sure how to get back on track. And then one day you wake up and wonder,

“How the hell did I get here…and more importantly…how do I get back over there?”

You begin to feel trapped…and then you try to figure out how to close the gap, find your greatness….

Many people get trapped in the knowledge / action gap. You know what to do but you cannot seem to get yourself to take action.

How do you get out of your head and stop thinking about what you need to do, and actually do it?

Use the 5-second rule to move from ideas that could change everything…to acting on them.

Allow your inner-wisdom to kick in.

When you understand the power of a 5-second decision, and you understand that you always have a choice to go from auto-pilot to decision maker, everything in your life will change. You will realize how much garbage you put in the way of your success.

The scientific proof lies in the concept of meta-cognition. You can outsmart your own brain. You can direct yourself in ways if it’s important to you. When you count down “5-4-3-2-1” what you are actually doing is interrupting your habit loop. The habit is interrupted, then you awaken your pre-frontal cortex which is where you think.

By reaching “1” – you also trigger yourself to keep going and take action.

This simple little action moves you from being the person who thinks about doing something to the person who actually does something.

What do you think?…