No Limits: The Art and Science of High Performance

by Mukesh Bansal

Performance Hack #26: The Five-Second Rule No, this rule isn’t about how soon you can eat something that’s just fallen on the floor but about how to beat procrastination for real. Author and reporter Mel Robbins64 came up with this rule that states that the moment you have the instinct to work on a task, you must immediately begin it within five seconds. Because if you don’t, the other powerful instinct that is procrastination will kick in, and it’s likely that the task will get delayed. One of the big reasons why we procrastinate is because we perceive a task as huge, too difficult or one that requires too much effort. The five-second rule allows your brain to eliminate these fears or worries and makes you just jump into the task. By using this rule regularly, you will learn to procrastinate less and become more productive.