The Momentum Code: Tapping into the “5-Second Rule”

Ever felt like life’s snooze button is jammed? Here’s a cheeky hack.

W. Jon McClure
3 min readOct 18, 2023

Momentum Procrastination Brain Hacks Morning Routine self discipline

“If you spend too much time thinking about a thing, you’ll never get it done.” — Bruce Lee

Ah, the sweet allure of the snooze button. You, me, heck, even Grandma Edna — we’ve all felt its siren call, haven’t we? But let’s face it: that seductive snooze session often turns into a tango of regrets. Sound familiar?

Enter the nefarious villain of our lives: Inertia. This beastly thing makes even picking up the remote seem like bench pressing a small elephant. But what if I told you there’s a cheat code? And, oh boy, it’s a game-changer!

Understanding the Enemy: Good Ol’ Inertia

Imagine a 200-car freight train. It doesn’t just “get going”. It groans, huffs, puffs, and probably even mutters a few under-the-breath complaints. But once it’s chugging at 50 mph? Good luck throwing a wrench in its tracks. Now picture this: you are that train. A wee bit overwhelming, huh?

5-Seconds to Liftoff

So here’s the golden nugget from Mel Robbins, a lady who’s been there, done that, and got the t-shirt. The “5-second rule”*. Sounds like something related to dropping food on the floor, right? But, nope! It’s about snagging your momentum before your brain goes “Nah, too much effort, mate.”

*Robbins, M. (2017). The 5 Second Rule: Transform your Life, Work, and Confidence with Everyday Courage. Savio Republic.

Your noodle (that’s your brain, if we’re being formal) isn’t plotting against you. It’s just lazy. Admit it, if someone offered you a comfy couch and Netflix over, say, sprinting up five flights of stairs, which would you pick? But here’s the kicker: when the spark hits, you gotta move. Fast. Like, 5 seconds fast.

The Not-so-secret Sauce

So you get the urge to finally tackle that project collecting virtual dust on your desktop. Don’t dawdle. Countdown: 5… 4… 3… 2… 1. Boom. Do it. Yes, it’s like launching a rocket, but you’re the rocket. And trust me, this isn’t just some fancy pep talk. It’s science. It’s life. It’s… pure magic in a 5-second capsule.

Try it and watch your inner child take off.

“Action is the foundational key to all success.” — Pablo Picasso

A Challenge, If You Dare

This 5-second rule? It’s deceptively simple. So darn cheeky in its effectiveness that you might just giggle. But, challenge time! Try it this week. And here’s a wry thought: maybe, just maybe, this can be our little secret weapon against the inertia monsters lurking in our closets?

So, how many times have YOU hit the snooze button this week?

Jon McClure

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W. Jon McClure

Start to seek. Become a generalist. Begin to serve. Rise to a Polymath. Start a mission. Live in abundance. https://linktr.ee/wjmcclure