This week at a luncheon seminar, I heard John Maxwell say one of the most simple and yet profound things I’ve ever heard.  He called it the “Rule of Five.”  It goes like this

If you have a tree in your yard that you want to cut down, go out and hit it with the ax five times. Then go about your day. Tomorrow, go hit it five more times. Day after day, go hit the tree with your ax five times.  In time, the tree will come down.  It is not a question of if it will fall, it will. It is only a question of when.

That may sound simplistic, but we all know, if you wait until you have a day to cut it down, the tree will still be standing ten years from now.

Mr. Maxwell went to to explain that he decided many years ago that God had called him to write books on leadership. After a couple of years of being frustrated about not getting around to it, he decided to invoke the “Rule of Five.”  Since then, John Maxwell does five things every day.  No matter what else the day holds, he does five things.  On his birthday and Christmas and Easter, he does five things.  He reads, he thinks, he files, he asks questions and he writes. Every day. No matter what else happens that day, he reads, he thinks, he files, he asks questions and he writes. Simple.

In the thirty years since then, he has traveled the world. He has taught leadership to millions of people. He’s had a successful 45 year marriage, raised children and enjoyed grandchildren. In the midst of it all, he has done five things every day. He reads, he thinks, he files, he asks questions and he writes.  Wondering about the results?  John Maxwell has published more than 50 books and sold more than 20 million copies!

Obviously everyone’s list of five things will not be the same.  It depends on what you are called and gifted to do.  But one thing is constant, if we don’t invoke the “Rule of Five,” time will pass whether we accomplish our dreams or not.

So what might your five things be?