This morning, I tried to convince my wife to go on a walk with me. Twice. She said no. Twice. To be fair, she didn’t need a morning walk. We always walk in the evening. In Apex, we call it the Walking of the Spouses. But I’m on a mission to increase my steps, and my body was quietly asking for a little something extra. Not a high-intensity workout. Just motion. A little early air. But instead of lacing up my shoes and heading out, I tried to sell the idea to her (did I mention twice), hoping for a little company. Maybe a little accountability. Maybe just not wanting to do it alone. That is when I lost the window.

In her book The Five Second Rule, Mel Robbins explains that, when you have an idea or an instinct to do something, you have a small window of opportunity (5 seconds) to act before your brain starts talking you out of it. She suggests actually counting down from five as a way to force yourself to focus on the action rather than the negative thoughts or feelings that might be holding you back. By doing this repeatedly, you retrain your brain to stop overthinking everything. 

People often think that they must have a sense of motivation before acting. With that mindset, though, you will miss out on many opportunities. It is not necessary for motivation to come before action. Sometimes action is the only way to find it. Mark Manson suggests that the action is what gives us the motivation. By doing something, we become motivated to do the next thing. If we always wait until we’re sufficiently motivated, we might never get to that first thing. This morning, I wanted to move. But instead of trusting that impulse, I delayed it. Outsourced it. Tried to co-sign it with someone else. And the opportunity slipped away.

The five second rule can be a great tool in your personal and professional life. If you come into the office in the morning and look at that yellow post-it note that is a reminder to call opposing counsel on a difficult case, count down from five and pick up the phone. If the lunch hour is approaching and you have an impulse to go for a walk outside instead of going to McDonalds to get the Bic Mac combo meal, shut your computer down and walk straight outside. Do not give your mind the opportunity to talk you out of these things. Your brain and body will thank you later.

Tomorrow morning, I’ll probably still ask my wife to join me for a walk. Maybe she’ll say yes. Maybe not. But I’ll be ready to go either way. Because the truth is, it’s not about steps or even motivation. It’s about listening to the small voice that says, “Go.” And answering it before doubt has a chance to argue.