3 Rules To Become More Determined And Efficient

Unfortunately, life is full of challenges, and there are plenty of things we do not like to do but have to be a part of our routine. So how do we deal with them? Here are the three rules that will save you time and make you more efficient.

The 5-second rule

Most of you may have heard the 5-second rule as the rule where you can eat something that you dropped on the floor if it is there for less than 5 seconds. Our advice on the 5-second rule is completely different and has nothing to do with that. Mel Robbins introduced this rule, telling you how to do things you do not like at all.

According to her book, Mel Robbins had difficulty getting out of bed and struggled with depression. She managed to overcome this obstacle that had started taking huge dimensions in her mind by giving herself time to prepare until she finally got out of bed and started her day. Every time she had to do something that she hated, she would count to 5, and by the time the counting was over, she was determined to go ahead and do it.

So why 5 seconds anyway? Five seconds are enough to allow you to prepare mentally, psychologically, and physically. One might wonder: wouldn’t 10 seconds be better? We could assume that in 10 seconds, you would find it easier to prepare. However, as it turns out, if you give yourself more space to prepare, you end up thinking about it, and it is more likely that you will eventually change your mind. The 5 seconds mean that you love yourself enough to give time, but you also have a goal you are unwilling to miss.

Do not overdo it

For everything that is out there and does not seem to be something we like to do, we can put a certain amount of time, energy, and effort into it. Sometimes we get greedy, and when we realize we finally did it, we force ourselves to do as much as possible. A perfect example that describes this situation is working out. Physical exercise is not pleasant for many people, but it is essential for everyone. Some people use the 5-second rule already and finally manage to get out of the couch and go to the gym, which is the real challenge and practically the half road to success. If they force themselves to work out for a couple of hours, this may have good results for the current training. However, it will probably discourage them from doing it again. In their minds, they will believe that if they are about to work out, they will have to do it for at least 2 hours the next time, which is overwhelming. Be conservative with your goals regarding things that are not your style so that you do not get disappointed.

The importance of the calendar

The last challenge one has to face when dealing with unpleasant activities is that they have to be consistent. For tasks you have to do once or just a couple of times, we do not suggest that you build a technique to do that. It is usually things we have to do repeatedly, which have to become a part of our routine to notice obvious results.

For that, you need to be consistent; the gadget that will save you is a calendar. If you have to do this activity twice a week, you will name which particular two days of the week there will be, and you will do it then. It will not be just when you have time because, guess what, you will never find the time to do something you dislike; it is like a reflex. Follow this rule; remember there is a certain time or day of the week that you have to dedicate to this activity.

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