debbiebradleyHey!
I thought I would do something a little different, and share with you the books I’ve been reading to help with my business and my mindset!
I’ll admit, I was never a big fan of business books, I found them kinda boring because I love to read, but for entertainment, rather than education. But in the past year, since starting my business, that has all changed! I can’t get enough of them and the amazing little pearls of wisdom that you find between all pages.
Confession 2 – I don’t like audiobooks. Remember the whole ‘Real book vs Ebook’ arguments back when the Kindle first launched? I was in the ‘Anything but Audiobook’ camp. I love real books, I love my kindle. Audiobooks, I could never get into. Mostly because of the way I read. I like to interpret the words in my own way, but having someone read them to me, didn’t allow for that.
Until NOW!!
So today, I’m sharing not only a great book but a great AUDIObook.
Mel Robbins – The 5 Second Rule
Who is Mel Robbins?
Mel Robbins is a straight-talking, no BSing, motivational speaker, TV personality, coach and Bestselling Author. You can read more about Mel here
I first discovered Robbins through her TEDx Talk: “How To Stop Screwing Yourself Over”
I’ve been following her online ever since, but I’ll be honest – I’ve been shit at applying the 5-second rule to my life. Until now!
The (audio)Book
As much as I’ve followed Robbins online, and loved what I’ve heard, I haven’t followed the steps. One step in particular; The 5-Second Rule. No, not the one about dropping food on the floor. The life-changing one!
There’s been a lot of buzz online about the book recently, and I didn’t want to waste time waiting to go buy it (or have it delivered) to then stick it on the pile of books I’ve yet to read. I have enough of those, so when I realised Robbins had recorded the audiobook, I bought it. I enjoy listening to Robbins speak – She’s speaker after all, so it makes sense that she’s good at it. So I listened to my first ever audiobook and it blew my damn mind!
What I LOVE about the book
It’s real. It’s so real, that everyone and any one can relate to what’s going on. It’s not just Robbins telling her ‘Quick Tip’ and a success story. It’s raw, there’s vulnerability. Robbins talks of being 41 years old, her life had gone to shit and realising she needed to do something about it. It’s backed up with action, but it’s not fluffy, there’s no ‘happily ever after’ it’s HARD. There’s no pretending like things magically got fixed one day and it’s all been easy as pie ever since. Robbins admits, 7 years later, she still doesn’t want to get out of bed in a morning, but she does it.
It’s not just Robbins either. This book is packed with examples of other people who have taken on the 5 Second Rule and changed their lives. Not because it’s a magical cure, but because they wanted to or needed to, and THIS is what’s worked.
My Favourite Chapter
I listened to this book in one day. It’s 7 and a half hours long, so it’s easily doable. It’s such an easy book to listen to. It’s natural, it’s conversational, there’s nothing awkward about it. But my favourite chapter, I actually listened to 3 times. Partly because I kept getting distracted because the kids were talking over it, but mostly because it resonated with me so much!
It’s chapter 12 on the audiobook (which I think is Chapter 10 in the actual book). It’s about the distractions that we allow into our daily lives, from social media, notifications, smart phones, physical crap we have lying around. My initial thought was ‘Damn, I’ve been outsmarted by a 9th grader’ as Robbins tells us about her daughters’ reaction to Instagram and the impact social media has on our lives. But more than that, it was a deep feeling that ‘Hey, it’s not just me. All these people have felt the same way, and they managed to fix it. What the hell am I waiting for?!’
Most importantly, it’s about recognising the crap we allow to distract us from the important things in our lives without a second thought and then taking back control.
What I’m doing now
Last night I took the advice from the book. I made the decision to take back control. I followed the example Robbins talks about. It’s not been perfect, it’s been my first go. But I feel SO much better for it. Heck, I woke up at 6:30 am, I was downstairs by 06:45, and writing this post by 07:30. It’s now 8:42 and my kids have just woken up. They didn’t even know where I was! They’re so used to finding me in my room in the morning, still half asleep, that I heard their footsteps while they looked for me, then saw their confused half-asleep faces when they found me working so early in the morning.
THAT right there is worth it. Now, I’m showing my kids what I want them to see. I’m leading by example, by taking back control of my life and owning my mornings. I’m doing what’s important to me.
What I think you should do
First; buy the book. Then listen/read it IMMEDIATELY. Quickly followed by; TAKE ACTION!
Implement the change you want to see in your life. There’s only you stopping you. Really, as much as you think there are a million external influences, there aren’t. It’s your choice. Make the decision for yourself.
Before I go
I can already see how this book is going to help me change my life. I’m thankful that I found Mel Robbins, and took the time to listen to her talks and books. I’m also glad that I took the 5 seconds to turn my thoughts into actions before I talked myself out of it.
Tell me, have you read the book? Are you going to read the book? What did you think of it?
What other books have you read that you would recommend for business and mindset?
Debbie Bradley is an affiliate for certain products and apps, and as such will receive a small reimbursement for advertising at no extra cost to you, should you choose to purchase.
You may find affiliate links within this post, marked with a star (*)
