Campus Club ambassador Kergan Sanderson shares how Mel Robbins' Five Second Rule can help you take the first step toward your actuarial science goals.
There are mountains looming closer to you with each passing day. Whether it's studying for an actuarial exam, making a professional connection, creating a presentation, or making that big life change you want, the shadow of the mountain sends shivers down your spine. Some tasks have a weight that you aren't ready to carry yet.
Facing the Mountain
For some of us, getting started with a task is an ordeal. You wait for the perfect time and circumstances before you sit down and commit to a task. When you finally get started, you often discover that the foreboding mountain with a sinister shadow is just a gently sloping hill. The task that you thought would take forever and drain your energy could end up being a short walk, but only after the first step.
Some tasks have a weight that you aren't ready to carry yet.
Discovering the Five Second Rule
So to get you started, I'll introduce you to Mel Robbins' Five Second Rule: the moment that you have an instinct to act on a goal, count down from five and physically get moving. After learning this rule, I've applied it to a wide variety of situations. I've used it to consistently do a bit of exam studying each day, to get out of bed to the first alarm each morning, and to finally reach out to the people that I've wanted to connect with for months.
The moment that you have an instinct to act on a goal, count down from five and physically get moving.
Start Your Countdown
I'm incredibly grateful that Mel Robbins shared this tool with the world. With it, I've sped past the first step many times and seen that the tasks I had been hiding from were less demanding than I'd imagined. Even if the rule isn't for you, you can still start moving those mountains that you have been turning away from. Find a mountain in your life and see what you can make of it today. Start with a countdown: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, go!
Find a mountain in your life and see what you can make of it today.
About the Author
Kergan Sanderson is a senior undergraduate physics student at North Carolina State University. He has passed Exams P and FM, is working on his VEEs, and is having conversations with actuarial professionals to propel his career search forward. Kergan was a part of the NCSU Power Sound of the South Marching Band for three fall seasons, serving as a clarinet section leader.