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The 5 Second Rule: Transform Your Life, Work, and Confidence with Everyday Courage

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Nearly 2 million copies sold Audible's #1 Nonfiction Book of the Year Amazon's 6th Most Read Book of the Year 100,000 five star reviews (across all formats) Published in 33 languages Millions of lives changedLearn the fastest way to change your life.The 5 Second Rule is the secret to changing anything about your life. You can use the Rule and its countdown method to break any bad habit, interrupt self-doubt and negative self-talk, and push yourself to take the actions that will change your life.If you struggle with motivation... If you are tired of doubting yourself...  If you know what you want but can't make yourself go get it...You NEED The 5 Second Rule. The secret to changing your life isn't knowing what to do--it's knowing how to make yourself do it.It's a simple tool, backed by research, and it has changed the lives of millions. It will work for you too.Using the science of habits, riveting stories, and surprising facts from some of the most famous moments in history, Mel Robbins will explain the power of a five second decision. You'll also meet and inspired by hundreds of people around the world who are using the Rule to achieve their goals, reach their potential, and chase their dreams.In the book, you'll learn the inspiring and relatable story of how Mel invented the 5 Second Rule during the worst moment of her life, when her anxiety and finances were so bad, she could barely get out of bed. Since creating the Rule, Mel has shared it with audiences around the world, the most respected brands, and people who want to make real and lasting change.Easy. Accessible. Science-backed. Proven.You are just five seconds away from a totally different life.Read the book and you'll learn the secret to creating it.

263 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 28, 2017

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About the author

Mel Robbins

13 books1,991 followers
Mel Robbins is an Ivy League educated criminal defense attorney and entrepreneur whose quick wit and fresh take on current affairs has helped her become a sought-after commentator, internationally recognized speaker, Contributing Editor to SUCCESS Magazine, best-selling author, relationship expert and Common Sense Activist.

Her advice and fiery opinion have been seen by tens of millions of viewers nationwide on shows ranging from Dr. Phil, Anderson Cooper, The Today Show, The Talk, Oprah, CNBC, and FOX Business.

Mel’s first book, STOP SAYING YOU’RE FINE – The No B.S. Guide To Getting What You Want – is now available in paperback and is published by Crown. It’s the best-seller that teaches readers how to stop procrastinating by using the latest neuroscience research and ingenious strategies to achieve goals.

Mel loves speaking to large audiences and delivers action-inspiring keynote speeches and workshops at large business conventions and leadership conferences worldwide. She also hosts leadership and training programs for companies ranging from Johnson & Johnson, Fidelity, Partners Healthcare, Wells Fargo; to leading law firms, family businesses, and privately held companies across America.

Mel is a graduate of Dartmouth College and Boston College Law School. She’s a working mom with three school-aged kids and is married to fellow entrepreneur Christopher Robbins, the co-founder of Stone Hearth Pizza.

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5 stars
13,450 (36%)
4 stars
11,275 (30%)
3 stars
7,917 (21%)
2 stars
3,050 (8%)
1 star
1,474 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,673 reviews
Profile Image for Laureen Peltier.
Author 1 book24 followers
March 19, 2017
I purchased this book because I was hopeful it would give me some tools to make decisions faster. Instead, The 5 Second Rule read like an elaborate advertisement. Pages and pages of testimonials of how the 5 Second Rule changed peoples lives. The reader is left to wonder how.

The idea is that we must make a decision in the first 5 seconds before our head gets too involved and the moment passes. This rule can be used to lose weight, build a business or get a relationship. The biggest issue people seem to have is getting out of bed in the morning. Indeed, the author suffered from this, laying in bed and hitting the snooze while her young children waited for breakfast to go to school. By the time Robbins got out of bed, she was late and so were children. So she gets the idea to launch herself out of bed and this changes her life.

I have to say I was extremely disappointed that this motivational speaker has written such a high-school book. Her writing style is simple and at times juvenile, and I don't appreciate being marketed to on every page. There is no practical use in this book other than make your decisions quickly before you have a chance to talk yourself out of it.

Genius. Save your money. I just told you the whole book.
Profile Image for Mehrsa.
2,235 reviews3,631 followers
December 15, 2017
I should have 5-4-3-2-1 and put the book in the trash, but I didn't. I finished this stupid book that is basically a long infomercial about nothing. Just watch the TED talk. Or don't. There's not much here.
Profile Image for Kat valentine ( Katsbookcornerreads).
696 reviews1,114 followers
November 8, 2019
Awesome self help book!! Mel Robbins book the 5 Second rule is another take on getting your shit together with many testimonials and great quotes. I saw her last year on ted talks and loved her approach to changing how your brain works and it really interested me so I picked up her book from the library. It was well done and I enjoyed reading how her 5 Second rule had changed so many people's lives. I will say that I love listening to her live because it isn't just what she says, it's her delivery that hooked me. Over all I enjoyed it and recommend reading,but also if you get the chance watch her ted talk or her talk show. I love both. Until next time luv's💖💋
Author 9 books46 followers
August 11, 2017
Mel Robbins book has way too many testimonials. It goes in circles. Entire sections should be cut out. And you absolutely positively must read it.

I get the idea Mel Robbins was rushed to make this book after her wildly successful Ted Talk, and it's a prime example of why nonfiction books need to slim down. There is a reason Blinkist can summarize so many of them so succinctly into five pages. You can almost hear the publisher screaming through Mel Robbins's lessons to, "pad the page count! Copy and paste another testimonial! Make the physical book look like a good value!"

That said, Mel Robbins has content on her side. I have been applying her concepts to my day-to-day life after a serious spat with depression, and it has allowed me to completely turn myself around.

Her central ideas are fairly simple:

1. When you have a good idea to better yourself, do a "5...4...3...2...1..." countdown and get to it. If you give yourself any longer you will make an excuse and psyche yourself out. Once you start moving it's far more likely you'll get working.

2. You will never ever feel like doing anything to better yourself. Motivational speakers are largely full of it. You need to force yourself.

3. "Doing things that scare you actually make you more confident. If you have the courage to take action, your confidence will follow. Every time you push yourself to speak when you’re nervous, act when you’re afraid, or get to the gym when you don’t feel like it, you realize that you can rely on yourself to get anything done." -Mel Robbins

I can say with full confidence that these ideas are correct. I actually have a small learning "disability" which makes me understand subjects very slowly and not feel 90% of the embarrassment others feel. Growing up, I never understood why I succeeded when much smarter people stalled out. Now, I realize all the crucial moments in my career and personal life happened because I forced myself to act, even when I didn't have all the facts, even when failure was a likely option.

As I've gotten older, I've begun realizing my actions have consequences, and it's made me clam up. This had me stalling in my personal and professional development.

Reading this book got me back on track. I've also begun to understand that it is rooted in scientific study, although I wish Mel Robbins provided more info on this.

I've been reading a great deal on diet and exercise lately. What seemingly every expert agrees on is that humans are made to not move much or to just walk, and to overeat. If we ventured outside of our perimeter as prehistoric humans we got killed. We never knew where our next meal was coming from. Overeating allowed us to store fat deposits which we could use later while fasting.

Human nature is lazy and inherently selfish. The 5-Second Rule is the best book I've ever read about getting out of your head and into life.

The sections about anxiety reappraisal are especially fascinating. Be sure to get through some of the slower chapters to get to the analysis of anxiety disorders and how to conquer them. That text really helped me change my days.

Highly highly highly recommended.
Profile Image for Myada Elmasry.
231 reviews92 followers
July 28, 2023
كتاب ٢٠٠ صفحة طويل عريض معمول علشان يقولك لما تبقى عايز تعمل حاجة عد من خمسة لواحد وباقي الكتاب الكاتبة بتتكلم عن إنجازاتها مع الناس اللي عدوا من خمسة لواحد!
Profile Image for Amanda.
107 reviews70 followers
October 19, 2017
Sorry but I can’t recommend this one. It felt overly repetitive, and the testimonials were of no interest to me. I originally gave it a three, but I’m downgrading it to 2.5 because the only thing I’ve retained is that you must make the decision to act in the first five seconds.
505 reviews2 followers
May 6, 2017
I honestly can't think of a book that I have hated more than this book in quite some time. I listened to the audio version, and first off, the author is a horrible narrator. Her voice was like sandpaper to my ears. Secondly, I kept thinking of what the conversation with her publisher must have been like: "You have a good idea in this 5 second rule." Author: "Right, but that's pretty much it. It's a 1 minute explanation." Publisher: "Turn that minute into a long book and then we can sell it."

Honestly, the concept is simple and good for her for the concept, but to try and turn it into a book that people pay for is nonsense. I have never returned a book to Amazon before this one. Horrible.
Profile Image for Kalyn Nicholson.
Author 3 books9,772 followers
July 10, 2019
The concept is super simple making it easy to grasp and use as an actual tool with everyday life.
It also helps intercept negative thought patterns and push away the pull towards procrastination. A motivating read all-around.
Profile Image for Salma.
9 reviews
October 7, 2017
Such a bad book and waist of time. You want a spoiler?! Just count 5-4-3-2-1
Profile Image for Amy Landino.
Author 3 books1,098 followers
January 15, 2018
This book is incredible. I don't have a lot of issues getting motivated, but we all get comfortable in our own ways. I'm so motivated and it's incredible how MOVED my body feels by the simple act of counting down from 5. I'm blown away!
Profile Image for Hanne.
37 reviews4 followers
October 15, 2017
As an idea and a 'science' the 5second rule is great - but as a book it's pretty atrocious. The book spends way to much of its time trying to sell you a product that you already bought! It keeps self congratulating itself on how brilliant it is, and how many people it has helped with however many variants of things. As this is a 'self help' type book, I was expecting a fair bit of this as it comes with the territory, but here there really was just no end to it.
By the time i had gotten halfway through my instinct was telling me to "5,4,3,2,1" and stop reading!
Profile Image for Taher Al Kiyumi.
26 reviews2 followers
August 1, 2018
Some of the notes I gathered from this book :

The 5 second rule :
As stupid it sounds as great is it works.
Count backwards from 5 to 1 and do it.

5 seconds that could change your life by changing and making the decisions that matter without hesitation or fear.

Your fear what stops you from not doing what you want.
You validite your idea by doing it.
It takes courage to change a behaviour.

Yourself have the priority over others, so stop doing others’ work instead of doing yours.


Take a break from work and enjoy your self.

When you can’t make a move and stuck in the same loop or you have done a mistake you can’t forgive yourself or forget it:
1- stop and forgive yourself
2- ask your self: what would yourself wanted to be become?
3- get started

Instead of worrying, enjoy the moment because you will only live it once.
Think of something positive instead of worrying!
Here is how :

Reframing: (consider the opposite of what you are at that moment) + 5 second rule:

Plan A: If you are nervous or Worried say to your self and convince your brain that you are excited about what you gonna do!
Plan B : use 5 seconds rule.


Turn on your envy, jealousy and curiosity into a hoppy.

People may have expectations about you but at the end of the day it's your call
AND who really loves you wish you happiness.

There is no expire date of the treasures inside of you.

Leave nothing important unsaid.

There is nothing called the right time to do something , the right time is now.
Profile Image for Cindy Rollins.
Author 23 books2,649 followers
July 6, 2017
This was an odd book. I cannot even imagine the author actually writing it. It sounds like she started speaking into a recorder without much of a plan and Voila! a book. While I can see some value in the concept, it would make a nice long article, or even a short one, rather than a whole book. Nevertheless, the author is sincere and likable and the concept is helpful.
Profile Image for Amina (ⴰⵎⵉⵏⴰ).
1,333 reviews287 followers
March 26, 2017
This is definitely a great one, its concept is very sipmle.
In this book, Mel Robbins explains the simple way of the 5 second rule and shares some stories of people who applied it and witnessed the change it brought. There's no overwhelming motivation in here, the book only makes you face yourself and and admit that the only person standing in your way is you, not your condition, not your family or society, as human beings, we have that gift to ignore what's happening around us if we want something so bad, even if it's stupid or futile, but we always manage to find an excuse when it comes to achieve something we really long for. That's what this book is about, stop lying to yourself and start doing what really matters for you.
Profile Image for حبيبة .
224 reviews61 followers
October 3, 2023
أخيرًا خلص!
طبعًا لو الكتاب دا مكانش جالي هدية مكنتش هفكر أقرأه، ولو كنت سمعت عنه كنت هكتفي بإني أقرأ له ملخص.. محتوى الكتاب كله ينفع يتكتب في مقال واحد، المحتوى هو: لما تبقى عايز تعمل حاجة عد من ٥ لـ ١ وقوم اعملها.. بس كدا؟ آه والله خلاص كدا!
رغي كتير جدًا.. بتقول الفكرة وتعيد صياغتها خمستاشر مرة.. اللي قالته في أول الكتاب رجعت كررته في النص ثم أكدت عليه في الآخر.. ممكن لو عديت ٣٠ صفحة مثلًا متحسش إن فاتك حاجة! دا غير إن كل صفحة تقريبًا فيها بوست أو رسالة وصلتلها من حد طبق الفكرة ونجحت معاه وغيرت حياته تمامًا! توو ماتش تجارب ناجحة بصراحة.. حتى صياغة البوستات دي مستفزة، بتقولك فلان الفلاني من نيويورك كان عايز يعمل كذا وبعدين عد من خمسة لواحد ونجح! وبعدين تحط سكرين للبوست تاني! طيب يا أستاذة ميل ما حضرتك حكيتي التجربة خلاص؟ لا ازاي لازم نزود صفحات ونطبع ونبيع..
لا ينصح به أبدًا.. وتجربة متمناش إنها تتكرر.
Profile Image for فادي.
576 reviews783 followers
January 1, 2019

هذا كتاب سيء
لأسباب كثيرة
أولاً لأنّه مضلل، ولأنّه قائم على فكرة بسيطة جداً لا تحتاج إلى تأليف كتاب من 300 صفحة
ثانياً لأنّه يبني من فكرة بسطية قصر من هواء دون أي خطوات عملية
ثالثاً لأنّ المؤلفة تقول إنّ هذا مثبت علمياً ولم تأتِ بأي دليل علمي محترم لكلامها
==
المؤلفة رأت مشهداً على التلفاز في يوم ما لصاروخ يستعد للانطلاق بعد العد لـ 5-4-3-2-1-0
فلمعت في رأسها فكرة أنّ هذا ما تحتاجه لحل كل مشكلاتها
فإذا أرادت الالتزام بأمر ما فعليها أن تعد عكسياً قبل البدء به
وإذا أردات الانصراف عن أمر فعلت الأمر نفسه
وهو ما يسمى في علم النفس ترك مسافة قصيرة بين الفعل وردة الفعل
هذا لبّ الكتاب والذي يمكن أن يُختصر بسطر واحد
باقي الكتاب كله حشو وقصص ورسائل خاصة من أشخاص تغيّرت حياتهم بسبب هذه القاعدة السحرية
هل يكذبون؟ لا أعتقد
هل هم حمقى؟ ربما
يكفيك أن تحضر لها هذه المحاضرة على منصة تيد ولا تتعنى شراء+قراءة الكتاب

https://www.ted.com/talks/mel_robbins...
Profile Image for Matthew.
64 reviews4 followers
March 7, 2017
The Power of Counting Down

Seth Godin says that he can read for a certain amount of time before "he gets the joke," or the gist of the book.

The gist of this book is counting down and acting is the key to everything. The concept is a good idea, but not worth the money paid for the book.

What's more, I purchased the book for the heck of it because there was a course on passion by the same author. I ordered it to see what the fuss was all about.

It reminds me to second guess Success magazine.

I am all for people making a living. If you can help others be better, that's great. Being a "successful coach" because you can count from 5 to 1 is...questionable to say the least.

If you're new to the game, get the book and have the tool in your arsenal. If you've heard the thousands of other success coaches doing close to the same shtick, you won't get much from the book.

Also, fair warning: at least half of the book is testament to how counting down works. It is mostly fluff and reinforcement of fluff by propping up fluff with fluff. Don't expect a deep discussion on the merits of the human mind and why counting is good.

A J.O.B. squad book - Pin me, pay me.
Profile Image for Milica Stojiljkovic.
394 reviews229 followers
August 2, 2020
O čemu se radi?

Pravilo 5 sekundi znači da kad nešto treba da uradite izbrojite 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 i uradite to kako ne biste krenuli da previše razmišljate i time sebe sprečili. Moćno je jer neretko svi imamo neku vrstu nesigurnosti ili treme, te verujem da može da pomogne svakom u nekoj situaciji.

Kako je napisano?

Mel je ovde pokrenula neke bitne teme, ali kao da ih nije sasvim razradila. Dobar deo knjige su utisci njenih pratilaca sa društvenih mreža koji su izmenili svoje živote, dobrim delom ona priča i o svom životu, a slabo se spominje samo pravilo. Knjiga mi deluje delimično kao top shop reklama koja vas tera da isprobate pravilo 5 sekundi.

Sveukupni utisci: motivisala me je i počeću da primenjujem sam koncept, ali je realizacija knjige nešto slabija od same ideje. Mislim da je dovoljno da potražite govor autorke na Ted Talk-u ili da proguglate ovo pravilo umesto da kupujete knjigu.

Dizajn: naše korice su zapravo fino odrađene, a font nije previše sitan, tako da sam uspela brzo da pročitam, a i sama knjiga nije preterano duga mada bi suština mogla da se prepriča na mnogo manje strana.
Profile Image for Mel.
65 reviews30 followers
March 10, 2018
I highly recommend the audiobook! It’s like Mel Robbins right beside you coaching you along! Can’t even tell she’s reading her book! I had read the book last year when it came out but didn’t get much out of it because my brother died about the same time. This book has been a one book intervention for my self-sabotage and procrastination. Go get the book. Don’t think about it. Don’t hesitate it. Let your new life of five second decision-making start today. 5... 4... 3... 2... 1.... Why are you still reading this! Buy the book already!
Profile Image for Michelle.
267 reviews2 followers
August 12, 2017
Very very repetitive, and I ended up speeding the audio to 2x for the last half. She could have given the same information in 1/10 of the time. I like the idea of the principle, it's just overly elaborated upon. I will try it out though and see if it helps with a few things, especially waking up before my kids.
Profile Image for Acordul Fin.
490 reviews162 followers
December 1, 2019
Did I find her advice really useful? Not really. If I had to answer on the spot I'd say Mel Robbins comes from a good place but her suggestions are oversimplified and thinly based on science. And the book was very repetitive. But I did find her narration comforting, I consumed it in audiobook form and I had an enjoyable time listening to her talk. She feels like a genuine person and I deeply connected to her experience of suffering from crippling anxiety. Though she talked a looot about the snooze button and her inability to get up on time in the morning and that is not a problem I've ever had, ha ha. But I can see where she's coming from.
Profile Image for Samin_pzr.
123 reviews32 followers
March 20, 2020
آخرین کتاب ۹۸،،خیلی وقت بود پی دی اف این کتاب رو روی گوشیم داشتم،اما واقعا برام جالب و اموزنده نبود.....برای همین خوندنش رو عقب انداختم تا دیروز که به خودم گفتم دیگه باید این چرخه ی تنبلی رو تموم کنم،،،خلاصه اینجوری بهتون بگم که انقدر حرفای تکراری و غیر ضروری زده بود که واقعا میشد توی ۱ساعت کل کتاب رو روخوانی کرد 🤷🏻‍♀️ایده ی شمارش معکوس ۵ثانیه جالبه اما متاسفانه دلیل اینهمه زیاده گویی و تکرار خانم مل رابینز رو نمیفهمم....دوستاره! صرفا چون ایده ی شمارش ۵ثانیه اش رو دوست داشتم.....
امیدوارم امسال سال خوبی باشه برامون...🌱✨🎊
Profile Image for E.B. Durran.
Author 1 book17 followers
March 4, 2017
It works if you work it... Life altering!

Mel really nailed this... I've read countless self-help and motivation books, I never would have thought something so seemingly simple would change things in my life this quickly. She's right... motivation is crap, I rarely "feel" like doing what needs done. If anyone is on the fence about picking up this book... Just buy it, you won't be disappointed!
Profile Image for Selma.
221 reviews4 followers
November 12, 2020
There is a special place in book hell reserved for cash grab books like this.

The useful part can be summarised in one sentence:
When you decide to do something, count backwards from 5 in your head, and then force yourself to do it before your brain sabotages you.

Bam, I just saved you £8 and 260 pages of filler. You're welcome.
Profile Image for Jen.
23 reviews10 followers
April 15, 2017
Stop what you're doing and read/listen to this book! It's a game-changer. It's paradigm-shifting. Yes, those are dramatic words, but it really is. I'm a therapist and a self-help junkie, so I've got a lot of things to compare it to. I've been using this technique and telling my clients about it - I'm just amazed at how much it's shifted for us already!

Plus, I do highly recommend the audio version because it's read by the author (I love it when books are), and she's so fantastic to listen to! Not necessarily because of her voice, but because it truly feels like she's just chatting with you. Yes, she's reading her book, but it is clear that she's also ad-libbing and making it completely natural. There are times where she'll mess up her words - and that wasn't edited out. I LOVE IT! There's something really refreshing about that in our world of editing to perfection.

I am going to re-listen to this book often as a reminder, and I will buy it digitally and in print. It's that important and I want to really get the practice of The Five Second Rule wired into my brain!
Profile Image for Mars Dorian.
Author 9 books28 followers
December 10, 2017
I loved Mel Robbins's various talks and interviews. She's an incredible presenter and storyteller, but the book is a blog article stretched into short book-form. Here's the entire content in one sentence:
if you have the impulse to act, count 5-4-3-2-1, and do it before your brain interferes.

That's it. The rest is filled with countless repetition and numerous examples of social media buddies whose lives allegedly have 'drastically' improved. I give this 3 stars because I love the speaker Mel Robbins.
Profile Image for Midori.
66 reviews11 followers
December 18, 2017
Just watch her TED talk on youtube, that will sum up all the things she said in this book. Quite a waste of a time to read this while you can just grasp what the 5 second rule is in 10 mins. Somehow the rule did work for me, but not really that life changing, as you need a bigger picture i.e. a vision before moving your butt - which is of course not in the scope of her book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,673 reviews

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