LIFE HACK TO CREATING MORE DISCIPLINE

We asked over 100 women, when it comes to time management and productivity, what do you struggle with the most? It came to no surprise the top answer was: Procrastination and lack of motivation.

As a former productivity coach and now Project Management student, I can attest to this being the top issue my clients struggled with the most. First thing I always address with my clients is the concept of motivation. Webster's definition of motivation is: the general desire or willingness for someone to do something. A feeling, desire, or reason, that drives a person's behavior or action. The word I like to bring focus to is "feeling". Feelings are constantly fleeting, here today and gone tomorrow! Because of this, I do not rely on motivation alone to move or drive me to accomplish any one goal. Don't get me wrong, motivation is a great tool to use to initiate, guide, and maintain goal-oriented behaviors. However, for most of us motivation alone doesn't get the job done. The missing link is Discipline!

Easier said than done right ? If I had the discipline my never ending to do list would be complete, house would be spotless, kids would be bathed and in bed on time and I'd still have enough time/energy for a glass of wine and a good book.

Well, like everything else in life discipline is a habit we must work at to create; it's a muscle if you will. In efforts not to be long winded, id like to share my best "life hack" to shorten the learning curve towards creating discipline in your life and destroy procrastination with ease. It is called The 5 second rule!

World-famous speaker and bestselling author Mel Robbins found her own little counting trick to beat procrastination. It is important to note that back then, she was none of those things. She was unemployed, in financial trouble, drinking too much and losing grip on her duties as a mom and wife. She'd also developed the habit of hitting the snooze button and delaying the day ahead for as long as possible. One particular morning instead of the snooze button, Robbins began her day by counting down from five. This is called the five-second rule, and it's used to prevent acting on detrimental urges.

So instead of rolling over and sleeping on, Robbins counted silently to herself, "five, four, three, two, one." This simple act distracts you from your anxieties and redirects your attention to what you should be doing, instead of submitting to instantly gratifying urges. By continually doing this, you can break a negative cycle and create new and better habits. Robbins also used the five-second rule to stop avoiding exercise and to push herself outdoors for regular jogs. And when she felt like procrastinating on updating her résumé, it was, "five, four, three, two, one". and she got to work. This tool is especially useful if you're the kind of person who sits around waiting for inspiration to strike.

Whether you want to lose weight, make more money, get a grip on your routine, start dating etc. the same factors will always be there. They're no less present tomorrow, next week or six months from now.

Yes, you have to do something new,like signing up for the gym. And you're not guaranteed to make $10,000 from your side hustle. Showing up to a blind date will always make you nervous. Whatever you want that you don't have, it'll always require doing new, scary and uncertain things, which makes waiting even a day longer nothing but a cop-out and a waste of time. That's why the 5 Second Rule can be your best friend. Even if the first action you take is tiny, like a Google search or setting a reminder in your phone, it's an action nonetheless and that's the only thing that matters.

Choose good behavior and good feelings will follow.

Ready? 5.4 3 2 1 - go!