While freedom is one of the main reasons people choose to become freelancers, freelancing can also mean a lack of support, having to face distractions and sometimes a lack of motivation leading to less productivity. In this article we will discuss how to improve your freelance productivity.
Mel Robbins, an American television presenter, author and motivational speaker first explained how the “5 seconds rule” changed her life in a TedX talk back in 2013 which became viral. She then wrote her own book which is now a bestseller with more than 2 million copy sold. She created this rule at a point in her life where she was unemployed and had drinking problems. Every morning, she would snooze the button, her kids would be late to school and her life was clearly out of control.
Count down from 5
Instead of hitting the snooze button in the morning, count silently to yourself “ five, four, three, two, one” and within those 5 seconds get yourself out of bed. Mel couldn’t believe that it was that simple. She kept on doing that every morning and started to apply it to every task that she knew she should be doing but kept on postponing. That changed her life, and so can yours!
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Let’s face it, we’ve all had moments we didn’t feel like doing things, we were lacking motivation and so we found ourselves excuses no to act. But that’s the thing: we shouldn’t wait for motivation to act. This rule proves that we can create motivation by taking action. This is important to force yourself to be uncomfortable because you will never feel like it.
But how do you connect with the activation energy? This is simple.
When you have an idea, don’t let your brain get in the way of acting on that idea. If you don’t act on the impulse on 5 seconds, you kill the idea.
You must act within 5 seconds, otherwise hesitation will stop you from acting. By doing so, you will combat your subconscious mind and break your thought pattern and change your behavior. This is an amazing tool you can use in the battle against procrastination and how to improve your freelance productivity.
So are you going to give this rule a try? Are you ready to take your career as a freelancer to the next level?