WHY SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE PRACTICE THE RULE OF 5
Dear brothers and sisters,
We continue to bring you nuggets of wisdom that help you invest in yourself and thereby catapult you forward to fulfill your dreams.
Last week we looked at the power of a morning routine and said that repeating the same good habits over and over early in the day can change your whole life.
Related to that is what is commonly known as ‘The Rule of 5’, one that is practiced by very successful people. John Maxwell says that The Rule of 5 is the most life-changing concept for success that he ever applied in his life. Here’s the way he described it. He says imagine taking an axe and going in the backyard of your house and swinging at a tree and hitting it five times and you put the axe down, the next day you pick up the axe and go to the very same tree and swing at it five times, the next day five times, and the next day five times. If you keep picking up that axe and swinging it at that same tree five times every day, what do you think will eventually happen to that tree? Of course the tree will fall. Just swinging an axe at a tree 5 times, not 15, 30 or 500 times but just 5 times daily will make the tree fall. If it’s a big tree it may take much longer than a little tree. We don’t know how long, but it will eventually fall because you consistently swung at it 5 times every single day.
Now this is what John Maxwell says about that: Find your tree. What is your goal, what is your vision, what is the dream you want to ‘knock’ down? Do five simple things every single day and it will come down. Little by little it compounds until mountains of ’impossible’ dreams begin to be conquered. Doubts, insecurities, uncertainty and confusion begin to fall.
Today, you may be at a terrible place in your life where you have no dreams, no vision, no goals and seemingly hopeless. You can still do this: pick up a journal (any notebook) a calendar and a pen. Start on day number one. Write down 5 things you will do and repeat doing them for 21 days to fulfill your dreams. Several years later, you’ll be living your dreams. And someone will ask you, “How do did you get to attain such a life?” And you will be able to say: “I changed my routine.” If you change your routine, you can change your whole life. You see, before you can be faithful to someone else, you’ve got to be faithful to yourself.
Prov. 28:20 Amplified Bible says: “A faithful man shall abound with blessings, but he who makes haste to be rich [at any cost] shall not go unpunished.” Be faithful to yourself by investing in yourself consistently. To be described as consistent is a great compliment. Whether it’s referring to your exercise regime, your ability to save money, your maintenance of a clean home, your daily Bible reading, putting your hands to work in the Lord’s house, carrying through with your commitment to fast or your arrival to meetings on time, consistency is a big key.
Every day you will be confronted with many distractions and urgent responsibilities that are designed to steal you from your priorities. You must decide ahead of time to be consistent and follow your own schedule. As a result when you commit to doing something over and over, whether you feel like it or not, your personal confidence grows and you end up realizing your dreams.
God has given you the grace and ability to do what He designed you to do, are you ready to be consistent to get there?
