• What is Copywriting?
    • Why Copywriting is One of the Most Enjoyable, Flexible Careers
    • Answers to Your Top Questions About Copywriting
  • Blog
    • Most Popular
    • Mindset & Professional Development
    • Portfolio
    • Business Development
    • Book Recommendations
    • Pitching
    • Copywriting Tips
    • Terms to Know
  • Podcast
    • Latest Episodes
    • Top Episodes for New Copywriters
    • Student Stories
  • Copywriting Course
    • Learn About the Comprehensive Copywriting Academy
    • CCA Student Sign In
    • CCA Next Level
  • CCA Reviews
    • CCA Student Wins
    • Videos: CCA Student Reviews
  • Store
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • About Nicki Krawczyk
  • Contact Us

Filthy Rich Writer

Tips, tools, & training for new and aspiring copywriters.

Tips, Tools and Training for New and Aspiring Copywriters

  • What does “Filthy Rich” mean? It means having a job you love, being good at what you do…and making great money doing it!

When You Need to Get Down to Work: The 5 Second Rule

By Nicki Krawczyk Leave a Comment

Lime green old-fashioned alarm clock with bells has one hand at the 12 sits against a red background.


I’d love my clients to think I have a super-human ability to get down to work and churn out amazing copy.

However, the truth my students need to know is that I absolutely do not have that super-human ability, and I often find it just as hard to get focused and sit down to work as anyone.

And because I know I face this challenge—and because I get the questions about it from students all the time—I’m on a regular quest to find ways to overcome procrastination and lock in motivation.

But you know what I’ve recently discovered? Motivation doesn’t work. Or, as coach and speaker Mel Robbins says, “Motivation is complete garbage.”

I’d been hearing about Mel Robbins’ work for a while, but when I stumbled across her book The 5 Second Rule and its bevy of five-star Amazon reviews, I was intrigued.

To be honest, though, I almost didn’t buy her book. I mean, her premise is simple: when you’re facing something you don’t want to do, count down, five, four, three, two, one and then move.

“Meh,” I thought, “I get it. I’m not impressed.” After all, Mel herself calls the premise “silly” (because it’s so simple). But one day the book was on sale on Amazon, I bought it…and I’m infinitely glad I did.

See, the tactic itself is absurdly simple—which is part of what makes it so powerful. But what’s more powerful is that it makes you work around the things that hold you back.

As Mel Robbins says, “You can’t control how you feel. But you can always choose how you act.” The reason we don’t take action, even though we really, really know we should is that we don’t feel like doing something. We know we should get started, but we hesitate. And that hesitation turns into procrastination and maybe even putting something off forever.

“Hesitation is the kiss of death,” Robbins says. “You might hesitate for a just nanosecond, but that’s all it takes. That one small hesitation triggers a mental system that’s designed to stop you. And it happens in less than—you guessed it—five seconds.” 

Using that countdown “Five, four, three, two, one, GO!” and then taking action disrupts that hesitation. You don’t try to change your feelings; you stop them from making your decisions for you.

When you think about anything that you know you should do but that requires any amount of extra effort for more than five seconds, it’s highly likely that your emotions will take over and stop you from doing it.

Or, even if you’re able to overcome your emotions every once in a while, it takes such an extraordinary amount of willpower—of which you have a limited amount every day—that it wipes you out from doing anything else that requires a little effort. (Things like eating healthily, making a phone call that you don’t want to make, moving on from one project and then starting another…)

The 5 Second Rule is a tool for overcoming all of this – the emotional decision, the willpower overload, the beating yourself up for not doing what you need to do. Five, four, three, two, one—then move. It really is that simple, and it really is effective.

Clearly, I’m a major evangelist and I highly recommend you read the book for yourself, but I’m not being compensated in any way for this post. I just wanted to share something that works. 🙂

Your turn! Have you tried The 5 Second Rule? Has it worked for you? Let us know in the comments below!

Note: this post contains affiliate links.

Last Updated on December 7, 2022

Filed Under: Copywriting Tips, Mindset & Professional Development Tagged With: Productivity

Interested in Copywriting? Get our Free Video Training!

Plus, get on the list for updates, freebies, and more :) 



About Nicki Krawczyk

Nicki is a copywriter, copy coach and the founder of Filthy Rich Writer. She's been writing copy for more than 20 years.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Click here to subscribe

Break Into Copywriting

Sign up to get our FREE video training, special resources, and more!



Click here to subscribe

Comprehensive Copywriting Academy

Join the copywriting training program that's helping people just like you build successful copywriting careers!

Comprehensive Copywriting Academy from Filthy Rich Writer

Portfolio Tips

3 Copywriter Portfolio Examples That Wow Clients
Do You Need to List Your Copywriting Services on Your Portfolio Site?
Should I Put Prices on My Website? What Copywriters Need to Know

Orange square with text reading award winning designs and free domains Squarespace
View our Affiliate Link Disclosure here

Recent Articles

Freelance Copywriter Benefits: How to Build Your Own Benefits Package
5 Books to Read Written by Copywriters
How to Give Copywriting Feedback
Setting Boundaries as a Copywriter
Self Edit Your Copywriting: Why It’s a Must & How to Do It
  • Facebook
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest

Copyright © 2023 Filthy Rich Writer | About Us | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy| Business Affiliates