The 5 Second Rule

Transform your Life, Work, and Confidence with Everyday Courage

By: Mel Robbins

Narrated by: Mel Robbins

Length: 7 hrs and 35 mins

Publisher's Summary

How to enrich your life and destroy doubt in five seconds.

Throughout your life, you've had parents, coaches, teachers, friends, and mentors who have pushed you to be better than your excuses and bigger than your fears. What if the secret to having the confidence and courage to enrich your life and work is simply knowing how to push yourself?

Using the science of habits, riveting stories, and surprising facts from some of the most famous moments in history, art, and business, Mel Robbins will explain the power of a "push moment". Then, she'll give you one simple tool you can use to become your greatest self.

It takes just five seconds to use this tool, and every time you do you'll be in great company. More than eight million people have watched Mel's TEDx Talk, and executives inside of the world's largest brands are using the tool to increase productivity, collaboration, and engagement.

In The 5 Second Rule, you'll discover it takes just five seconds to:

• Become confident
• Break the habit of procrastination and self-doubt
• Beat fear and uncertainty
• Stop worrying and feel happier
• Share your ideas with courage

The 5 Second Rule is a simple, one-size-fits-all solution for the one problem we all face - we hold ourselves back.

The secret isn't knowing what to do - it's knowing how to make yourself do it.

©2017 Mel Robbins (P)2017 Mel Robbins

Just watch the Ted Talk

I barely got through half of this book, and I decided that I couldn’t move forward. I found it very repetitive and not extremely helpful. Just watch the Ted Talk that inspired this book, implement and move forward with your life.

Count down 5,4,3,2,1... and do it

The 5-second rule is the moment you have an instinct to act on a goal, count down 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 and physically move (or your brain will stop you with an excuse). This starting ritual will help to change many of your behaviors. There are 5-second moments all day long - wake up early, exercise, clean up, organize files, pay the bills, do the laundry, don't have that drink, don't smoke, update your resume, and speak up in a meeting. These are all simple actions that can be done (and you probably had these thoughts a hundred times already). Count 5, 4, 3, 2, 1... do it. This is a better alternative to sitting there and worrying or complaining about it. There is no right time or the feeling of being ready; just count down and do it.

There isn't anything earth-shattering about this advice. If you tried it and it does work for you, read the book to stay motivated and be inspired by stories of other people who have changed their lives.

Would have been better as a motivational poster

I tried to listen to as much as this book as I could stomach, but there was just no substance. It was the same exact statement reworded over and over again a million different ways. On top of that the author likes to laugh at her quirks, at odd times.

As I'm trying to listen to it right now, the book is telling me, again, how the rule will help me, without specifying anything else about this rule. There are "volumes and volumes of research proving that it works," which aren't cited.

I would suggest skipping over this book, because the entire book is the author counting down from 5, over and over and over with fluff in between

Disappointing

After the first five minutes you don't need to continue. The rest is just examples to support this idea. I feel I wasted my credit this month

I turned it off after an hour.

It's a great tool. 54321 GO! It really does hijack your brain momentarily and get you moving.
However, the book is FULL of fluff. Her reading feedback from her fans about how they've used the '5 second rule' to make changes, over and over and over and over and over again is not my idea of a 'book'. It's a 'Ra Ra' rally and a waste of my time. In the end I found it annoying. The tool however does work to defeat procrastination. You can probably find a blog post or a TEDx talk somewhere that will give you all you need.

unnecessarily long

it is a nice and useful rule, but I think the amount of chapters is too much for the same... it just keeps repeating the same over and over again

Good concept but couldn't relate

They tell a bunch of stories of other people and the story is said over about 20 min per person and then says the one little instance they used the 5 second rule. It's a book with tons of filler and not much substance

Good concept but really annoying to hear her talk

Would you try another book from Mel Robbins and/or Mel Robbins?

I found her 5 second rule from a Youtube video of her talking about it and I applied it to waking up early. It was the only self help trick that actually gave me immediate results and I was so happy that I beat my habit of waking up late for years. Naturally I thought maybe this book would as inspiring. It is not. I've managed to force myself to listen up to Chapter 12 and find her very annoying after about the first hour of listening. The book is filled with examples of how her listeners have used this rule and not much about the science behind it or how you can apply it to yourself..and if I have to hear her say "5 4 3 2 1" again, I'll shoot myself. Basically there's a lot of fluff and little substance. I believe her main points can be summarized in an article and that a book was not necessary. I haven't gained much from it than what I already know from a quick video that she's done explaining the rule. I found the way she talked really annoying and I don't know how to explain it other than she doesn't sound humble. She sounds like someone that would talk way too much about herself if you had to talk to her in real life.

Absolutely Horrible

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

I'm not sure how anyone enjoyed this book. Unless you love infomercials, then this is the book for you!

Has The 5 Second Rule turned you off from other books in this genre?

No

Would you be willing to try another one of Mel Robbins’s performances?

Absolutely not.

What character would you cut from The 5 Second Rule?

N/A

Any additional comments?

This book is literally just a list of testimonials. Over and over and over again. Sprinkled with plugs and boastfulness. Quite literally the worst book I have ever purchased.

Go

I just did the 54321 seconds rule, I'm writing a review...this alone is frightening for me. I think it's because deep down I always want to write, what I think and feel, but I never bother because I thought about it to much . It's simple and a small start will do, I just did. Thanks to Mel Robbins, I have re-connected within my self to force myself the "GO" push using her 54321. I recommend it to anyone, who desperately wants a change and a chance to find them self again. I totally love her tone of voice and stories she use to demonstrate her point across. The message is so clear, that I'm so glad I was listening. I hope you find my review useful, but most of all, that you find yourself doing the 54321, now Go!

Enjoyable

I enjoyed this book immensely. I think the learning from it is simple and could be explained in a single paragraph, but the stories from people who have used the rule are truly inspiring. The author/narrator comes across so passionately right the way through and it feels like she is speaking directly to you, in an almost conversational way. On a personal note, I really like the teaching and I can't wait to start to use this rule in my every day life... in fact I just did in writing this review!!

Repetitive and obnoxious

Honestly this book can be summarized by two pages and a couple of reviews. Because to be honest that is all the book is. The premise of the rule, followed by never ending supply of success stories shoved down your throat.

The five second rule might work for you, but you don’t need this book to tell you that.

5 minutes of content. 7 hours of waffle.

The basic premise of this book could be imparted in a 5 minute YouTube video, or a 300 word blog post.

somehow (mainly through copying and pasting 150 Facebook posts from her fans), Mel Robbins turns this into a 7 hour+ bore-fest.

A long book for a quick tool.

Could not finish,
Please google the 5 second rule, which is " 54321 and physically move." Don't waste your credit.

Watch the Ted Talk

Way too much filler rubbish, Mel's TED talk mentions the 5 second rule at the very end and to be honest that is all you need. Count back 5-4-3-2-1 - and do what you were thinking about doing. That is it.

Really drags out a very simple concept.

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

Needed to move through the points more quickly and make this book MUCH shorter.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

Very American in style

Any additional comments?

The concept is simple, count down from 5 and act. It is a good concept and its useful to know the science behind it, but dragged out far too long for my liking; 7 hours! No doubt others will like this book and enjoy the emotional aspect with the examples of people putting this into practice. But from the perspective of looking for new ideas for personal development there is far too much unnecessary content. It could have been an hour or less.I would recommend this book for the concept and nothing more.

Not really a book

I'm sure this contains a good idea but its not a book. Instead it's a rant. If you like to hi five the author every page then perhaps this is for you.

Utter waste of time and money

Firstly, I don't think this 5 second rule works always. It is trying to ingest discipline through that recital of 5 4 3 2 1 Go. But you actually need discipline to even do that consistently.
Secondly, while I agree that overthinking and procrastination does not help with actions, being impulsive and acting without deliberation within 5 seconds are not the answers. Frankly some of the examples in the book are just silly. In fact, the fact that I regret buying this audiobook is an example on why you should deliberate over some decisions.
Finally, the narration. Lord. I have never been grateful for the 2x speed option that allowed me to get through this faster. She sounded like my over-bearing aunt, who keeps repeating the same advice until I get out of her sight.

Not great

A little repetitive. After reading a dozen self help books this was the worse! A very difficult audio book to listen to. Mel Robbins does a great job of blowing her own trumpet whilst fuelling her ego with example after example + sounds like every other 'Ted' talker.

The book was summed up in a short chapter in 'A Chimp Paradox' when Steve Peters talks about autonomic behaviour and how you should know when to ignore or listen to your chimp.

Just roll out of bed and don't think about it. If you want to paint it as 54321, then great! I wasn't going to post this but - 54321

Extremely repetitive

Ok to listen to, narrated well. However there is only so many times you can listen to the same stories..."This person struggled...they counted 5,4,3,2,1 and changed their lives."