The Three Second Rule

Have you been waiting to do something but feel paralyzed by fear or the need for perfection?

If so, you’re in the right place. Let’s hijack our brains and get some momentum kicked off!

The rule is quite simple. It’s not new, but it is powerful. The premise is to count up to or down from 3 and take no longer than three seconds to start. That’s it.

This may sound silly, but it’s the mechanism I’ve used for decades to do something when I’m scared. Or hesitant. Or overstimulated, honestly. Let me give you some examples to convince you of its power.

The Lore

I first discovered this rule when I was maybe 8. I was camping with my family when my dad, brother, and I swam to this little island in the middle of a lake with this massive rock. Think diving board type situation but in nature. I’m sure you see where this is going.

I’m actually pretty terrified of heights but love doing things that involve heights. Like most, I’m not particularly fond of pain and while the fall doesn’t hurt, the ground is less forgiving the higher you go.

So there I stand, frozen in place. My brother and father have already jumped. I know it will be fun if I just do it, but the fear inside me has me barely breathing. There’s a million thoughts that are flying through my head at lightning speed and yet I can’t move an inch. Once I realized I was barely breathing, I shut my eyes and took a deep breath. I realized that I might get stuck or have to climb down which might have a bigger chance of getting hurt somehow, which is not ideal in the middle of a lake.

Big inhale. Big exhale. I counted 1, 2, 3 to myself quietly and jumped! I felt silly for wasting so much time fighting myself on something I knew would be fun but had learned a great tool along the way.

But here’s the thing about learning- it’s not just one and done!

A bit of reality

I’d like to say that ever since my decision making is phenomenal and I never hesitate, but that’s not true. I’m a thorough planner by nature. I love to observe and calculate my next move accordingly, but that does not jive well when I’m frightened. Or unsure. Or my nerves are on the fritz. But this rule helps me break through the noise, the uncertainty, and the fear.

There is definitely a spectrum of when and where to apply the rule. For example, if I’m in the grocery store and I have massive decision fatigue, it’s ok to just… pick something. But when it comes to, for example, launching a business, I could debate for hours when the ideal time to go live would be.

Nothing is perfect (fortunately!)

But here’s the thing – You can research and plan until you feel your plan is impeccable, but that won’t make you an expert. In just these few months that I’ve been laying the groundwork for my business, I have learned an incredible amount.

The obvious loss for most is that if you don’t start your business, you won’t get any profit. Let me reframe something you are aware of but may not realize its full potential. Cringe. I love a good cringe, particularly from my past self. It used to make me feel awful, but now I see those moments of definitive growth. I’m excited to look back at this blog, for example, and laugh at how I worded things or perhaps chuckle at my content strategy. But you know what? That will be because I will have grown.

I held myself back for years due to the intimidation from the gigantic mountain in front of me – business operations! I’ve wanted to sell physical art for some time, but there were maaany things that were daunting: packaging + shipping, legalities, and wondering if I’d have enough time (Spoiler alert – you never do). But after debating with myself for decades, I took a deep breath, and decided to just go for it. I selected a date, and I’m going with it.

So why now? Honestly, this is debatedly the worst time of year in regards to my work stress. But I have passion and mental momentum. The more I learn, the more it almost feels like a game or an experiment. You learn, test things out, conduct additional research and then adjust your strategy as you go.

Final thought: make it, then make it GOOD

This last bit isn’t new- I’ve seen it around social media a lot lately. But it’s 100% worth reiterating. Just make it, then make it good. Do I have the best tools for making videos right now? No. Did I find my raven earrings? Nope. Do I have all my ducks in a row to edit this content how I envision? Almost certainly not. But the most important thing is that it’s made. It’s out there. And I know that it’ll be better each time I make another.

Stop counting the risks. Start counting to three.

What are you waiting for?