The Five Minute Journal – The Five Second Rule

I've heard a few different people talk about the Five Minute Journal and how it changed their attitude, their lives, and their productivity. According to the creators, “With a simple structured format based on positive psychology research, you will start and end each day with gratitude. Side effects may include increased happiness, better relationships, and becoming more optimistic.” 

Their Amazon listing states:

“THE SIMPLEST WAY TO START YOUR DAY HAPPY – Using the science of positive psychology to improve happiness, The Five Minute Journal focuses your attention on the good in your life. Improve your mental well-being and feel better every day.



COMPLAIN LESS, APPRECIATE MORE – The Five Minute Journal helps you cultivate gratitude. It changes how you feel, alters the actions you take, and therefore the results you will create…negativity be gone!



FINALLY KEEP A JOURNAL – With a simple structured format that takes just 5 minutes, The Five Minute Journal is simple, quick, and effective. Whatever your excuse for not keeping a journal is, this journal will eliminate them

So what is it?

The creators have been very open about it (so if you want to make your own, you can). You start off writing down three things you are grateful for. The idea is to start off your day with these thoughts. This gets you going in a positive direction. You also write down one affirmation, “I am _____.”

You start off writing down three things you are grateful for. The idea is to start off your day with these thoughts. This gets you going in a positive direction. You also write down one affirmation, “I am _____.”

Then at night, you enter three amazing things that happened today. Then lastly, you ask yourself how you could have made the day even better.

Each day has inspiring quotes, and there are weekly challenges.

The Power of Positivity

This journal is based on positive psychology research. That research shows using the journal leads to higher levels of positive emotion. You will have more joy, optimism, and happiness. You may feel less lonely, and isolated. You may find yourself acting more generously, and compassionately. You may also experience a boost in your immune system

Available as a Hard Cover

Also available as an App

also available on Android

The Strength to Change

Mel Robbins author the book the five-second rule did a cool Ted talk about the five-minute rule.  She mentions how your brain has two speeds: autopilot, and emergency brake. So when you start doing something that it's not used to, it loves to pull the emergency brake. Anything that is a break in your routine, is going to be something you have to force yourself to do. Most of our life is on autopilot. We eat the same things every day, drive the same route to work. Do the same things with the same people. No wonder we love autopilot.

When you feel stuck, it may be that you haven't forced yourself to do anything new. You need to force yourself out of your head. You would not hang out with people who talk to you like you talk to yourself.

You need to get outside of your comfort zone.

When you see something you might do, you feel like doing something, but you sit back down. Why? Because your emergency brake was pulled.

If have an impulse to do something new, if you don't stand up and takes steps, and marry it to action, your emergency brake will be pulled. Your problem isn't ideas, its that you don't act on them.

So if you see someone and want to talk to them, marry that idea with action and walk over to them.