I’m sure you’ve heard that it takes 21 days to form a habit, but have you heard of the 5x rule?

Somewhere along the way I learned about the “5 X” rule. I can’t remember exactly where but I think it was Tim Ferris author of the four hour work week, four hour body and four hour chef.

It turns out that if you do something 5 times in a row, you’re much more likely to continue doing it.

Nike+ data shows that the difference between people who go on five runs and the people who don’t go on five runs is pretty huge. Basically, if you can figure out how to run five times, you’ll be much more likely to have formed a habit.

I later came across a site called tinyhabits ran by behavioral scientist BJ Fogg. The site focused on getting users to create tiny habits in 5 days.

These two experiences are the motivation behind my 5 day challenges.

How Does The 5 Day Challenge Work

Step 1 Choose A Habit, something you really want to accomplish

Step 2 Write down what this habit would do for you or how it will change your life

Step 3 Download A Free Tracking Calendar or use the calendar in your house

Step 4 Choose Your Celebration phrase or action

Step 5 Begin

Bonus Tell someone what you’re doing for more accountability

Place your tracking calendar where you will see it everyday, I put my mine on the bathroom door, and mark each day you successfully complete your goal.

Celebrate every time you do the activity, each time you mark your calendar and at the end of your 5 day spark.

That’s it.

I plan on doing these tiny challenges every other week and tracking them here on the blog.

You can follow along or do your own challenge.