The client leaned forward, eyes ablaze with excitement as to her ongoing role in the family business – impossible twenty minutes ago – now seemed obvious.

“This is exactly what I needed!”

I nodded. Then added:

“In this moment, you’re excited about this solution. You can feel it. But that level of enthusiasm won’t stay. A week from now, it will have faded. Not gone – just… less. Two weeks from now, even less. A month from now, you’ll struggle to remember why this felt so urgent. The point is enthusiasm has a half-life.”

She went quiet.

“It’s not about commitment. It’s not about whether the idea is good. It’s just how enthusiasm works. It decays over time. You can’t stop it.”

 Her expression shifted to confusion then exasperation as to what can be done about overcoming this decay.

“Before you leave today, commit to take one action towards implementing the solution.  There is one rule: that action must take less than FIVE minutes”

 Her first thought: “I could review our management structure to figure out how to divide responsibilities.”

“How long?”

 “A few days. Maybe a week.”

 “Too big. Remember it must take five minutes.”

 She tried again. “I could design my new job specification.”

“And that would take?”

 “Hours.”

 “Still too big. What can you do in five minutes?”

 She went quiet. Clearly frustrated.

“I could… look into bringing on additional resources?”

 “Five minutes?”

 She shook her head.

Finally: “How about I ring my husband and arrange a meeting to discuss the changes?”

 “How long?”

 “Two minutes.”

 “When?”

 “Over the phone on the way home.”

You cannot stop enthusiasm fading.  But you can capture it before it does.  Five minutes. One action. Before the half-life kicks in.