The 5-second rule is slowly changing my life. No, not the one that applies to dropped food. I’m talking about the motivation-boosting one attributed to author Mel Robbins. When faced with zero energy to complete even the simplest of tasks, the rule is basic: count down from five to one and then, like a rocket, blast out of inaction with enough fuel to accomplish the avoided task. This small mental shift effectively propels me into action.
Don’t panic. I’m with you. There’s no need to fear for I’m your God. I’ll give you strength. I’ll help you. I’ll hold you steady, keep a firm grip on you. – Isaiah 41:10 (MSG)
Until it doesn’t. As someone who chronically contends with task paralysis, I’ve become more aware of the invisible saboteurs behind my inaction. The endless news cycles and their accompanying despair. The voices of critics past incessantly provoking insecurities. The various fears whispering, “What if…?” The spiral of doom spinning faster than my capacity for productivity.
Isaiah breaks through my dizzying anxieties with a powerful reminder that God is ever present. When I’m faltering, just knowing that God has a firm grip on me brings a steadying calm that disempowers my saboteurs. Unlike the 5-second rule, this small mental shift never fails.
Unfinished projects? God is with me. Unwashed dishes? God is with me. Unanswered emails? God is with me. Unbalanced accounts? God is with me. Unrealized potential? God is with me. Whatever I do or don’t do, God is with me.
Prayer ~ 5… 4… 3… 2… 1… with your steadying presence, gracious God, here I go!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Phiwa Langeni creatively invites others into transformational liminal spaces between what has been and what is yet to be. A lifelong outsider, they are passionate about helping people see that different doesn’t have to be dangerous.