‘Permission to quit’: Fire survivor Turia Pitt’s 5-minute rule for New Year’s resolutions

Bushfire survivor Turia Pitt, often hailed as one of Australia’s most inspirational women, is giving us all “permission to quit”. Find out why.

Turia Pitt, one of Australia’s most inspirational women, has distilled her life lessons into 30 bite-sized podcasts to kick off the New Year.

The best-selling author, athlete, and coach is releasing one each day for the month of January, to help set Aussies up for success in 2023.

“I don’t like calling myself an expert, but it’s the things I’ve learned along my journey in the last decade,” the 35-year-old tells Confidential.

Pitt was competing in an ultra-marathon through Western Australia in 2011, when she was caught in a large bush fire that burned 65 per cent of her body.

‘The First 30’ is less about the lofty ideal of ‘New Year, new me’, and more practical outtakes from Pitt’s experiences.

Turia Pitt is launching a special daily podcast for January 2023 to inspire listeners to get The First 30 days right. Picture: Andy Baker

“There was a time when I was recovering from an operation and I had to go to Sydney to do a TV interview and I wasn’t really feeling up for it,” she said for example.

“I felt really vulnerable, really s … t. My foot and hand were all bandaged up. I wanted to be at home in bed.

Pitt, an bushfire survivor, author, athlete, and coach, is often hailed as one of Australia’s most inspirational women. Picture: Andy Baker

“I go into the green room and there are all these cool girls there — all chatting, bubbly, really dressed up and beautiful. I go ‘hey everyone how’re you going?’ They all look at me, and no one says anything. I turn around and walk straight to the bathroom, lock myself in a cubicle, and I start crying, just because it reminds me of being at school.”

Pitt gave herself a pep talk, put on some lipstick, and told herself that she was successful and strong, and headed back out.

“Did that work? Kind of, but not really. I still felt really out of place, but I got the job done. “Point being: You don’t always need to be smashing it out of the park, or excelling. Sometimes just showing up and doing the best job you can do on that day is enough, and that’s actually a great result.”

One of Pitt’s most FAQ is: How do you get motivated to go for a run?

“I never feel motivated to do most of my life to be honest,” she admits.

Her trick is the ‘5 minute rule’. She must do the run, or any task, for five minutes. After that, she gives herself permission to quit.

“A 30 minute run is overwhelming. If we give ourselves permission to quit, it makes the bar a bit lower. What happens after you’ve been doing something for five minutes, is you get into the flow of it and, usually you think I’ve started, I may as well keep going.”