Courage is a fundamental element of the #5SecondRule. Robbins defines it on page 7 of Chapter 1 as the ability to accomplish tasks that are difficult or scary, such as sharing ideas, maintaining personal beliefs and values, or even simply getting out of bed on time. When people are proactive, they demonstrate what Robbins calls “everyday courage,” the ability to make decisions and act upon them on a daily basis.

Real confidence is the ability to believe in yourself, your capabilities, and your ideas. It is a skill that everyone can hone through practice. The #5SecondRule, Robbins argues, can give people that extra push toward acting on their convictions without giving in to their fears or hesitations. Robbins underlines that confidence is not a personality trait and that not all loud extroverts are confident in themselves. Similarly, people who are not confident can practice to improve themselves.

A heart-first decision is made when people act upon their instincts without letting their hesitation or fears overrule their proactiveness. Robbins believes that when people hesitate, they are often second-guessing themselves, and such worry is largely unnecessary. Heart-first decisions are made based on what people believe is right, even if they might initially feel out of character or risky.