The Five-Second Rule

1:10 PM, Monday:
My sister-in-law set me up with a company called J Hilburn–it’s menswear, beautiful menswear, custom shirts, semi-custom suits and stunning ready-to-wear. If your guy needs menswear, I’m your girl. You know how I am about fashion. I go to Denver for sales training and while there, she tells me I must watch video from their conference earlier this summer.

As I always do as I’m told, I access the videos and one catches my eye, “Get Out of Your Own Way.” Sounds familiar, especially given the latest admonitions of The Fixer. The video features Mel Robbins of CNN fame, giving the keynote. She’s just launched a new website, Inspire 52, which boasts two million readers last month. In her presentation she talks about the brain and how it gets in the way of all our plans unless we act.

She says when you have inspired thought, you have five seconds to physically move and act before your brain starts to mess with you and convinces you not to. Something about the five seconds resonates. I stop the video and begin writing.

Hello Mel and Inspire52:

I just watched your presentation from the J Hilburn conference. I am new to J Hilburn and was so inspired. My brain screamed, “You need this.”

I am providing the link and walking toward you within five seconds; going against everything my brain tells me. I want to share in reaching the women of the world in a positive way and create that magic.

Sign my name and end with “Call me–picture me making a phone with my finger in my my ear mouthing, call me.”

So there–I’ve done my five second thing right? I go in the kitchen to make a sandwich ‘cuz you know how I feel about salads. The phone rings. I look at it–it’s Boston. I don’t know anybody in Boston so I don’t answer. What has The Fixer told me? “Answer your damn phone.”

A bit later, I listen to the voicemail. “Linda, this is Mel Robbins. We at Inspire52 think you are pretty funny and we want the blog on our site. Call me.” Whaaaa? Touche Fixer, touche.

I call back the famous Ms. Robbins and tell her she’s made my day and she sends over the contract that afternoon. The blog runs this week on her site, http://www.inspire52.com and from now on.

So, ladies, what did we learn from this exercise? Walk toward what you want within five seconds of inspired thought right? Always answer your phone. And remember, The Fixer always knows best.

She’s still up to her tricks. What was the tiara for? You’ll see.