my mom. If I’m heading to a meeting in Chicago, I’ll think about getting a delicious
dinner with a client. Once I have a specific image in mind, the rest is very easy.
This use of the #5SecondRule is a form of what researchers call “If, Then”
planning. It’s a way to keep yourself in control by creating a backup plan in
advance. Plan A is not to get nervous.
But i I do get on the plane and start to feel nervous, the I have my Plan B: I’ll
use the #5SecondRule and my anchor thought to beat my fear of flying. Studies
show that this kind of If-Then planning can boost your success rates by almost 3
times.
On the Plane
The moment I notice something that makes me nervous, whether that be an
alarming sound, turbulence, a climb that seems to be taking too long, weather that
looks ominous, or a bad vibe from a passenger next to me, my fears can be easily
triggered because my pattern of thinking is so ingrained. When this happens, I start
to count 5- 4- 3- 2- 1 to flush the fear out of my head, activate my prefrontal cortex
and pull myself into the present moment.
Then, I force myself to anchor on the specific images of where I am flying to
and I think to myself about how excited I am to walk on the beach with my mom,
have dinner with a client in Chicago, or climb Table Top Mountain with my
buddies.
These anchoring images are powerful reminders of a simple truth...if I am
sitting in a restaurant in Chicago having dinner with my clients tonight, or walking
the beach in Michigan tomorrow morning with my mom, or arriving home in time
to make the girls’ lacrosse game, obviously the plane didn’t crash and I have nothing
to worry about. Most important, I give my mind the context it is looking for—so