Musings | 2 Minutes to a Better Life
“. . .we’re only awake for around 1,000 minutes a day on average. If we can invest just two of them to prime our brains for positivity, then we’ll be helping ensure the other 998 minutes of our days are happier”
Neil Pasricha is an author and speaker. In 2008 he experienced catastrophic loss when his marriage ended suddenly, and he lost his best friend to suicide. As a way of coping with these sudden changes in his life, he became a workaholic with a never-ending to-do list. He gained 40 pounds, experienced headaches, heart flutters, and stomach bubbles. He was sleeping so little that he started buying and applying makeup when his coworkers started asking if he was getting enough sleep. He knew he was in a flat spin. After determining that he was experiencing decision fatigue, he decided to focus on three things each day. It worked, he tells us, because “it blew away the endless fog of “what should I do next?” and helped break giant projects down into simple tasks. A looming book deadline became “write 500 words,” an all-hands meeting about a major redesign became “send invite to three execs for feedback,” and my nonexistent exercise regime became “go for a 10-minute walk at lunch.”
Using one 4X6 index card a day, Neil narrowed his focus by starting each day with a two-minute reflection around three statements:
I will focus on . . .
I am grateful for . . .
I will let go of . . .
Why these three statements?
Focus: To aid in carving out will dos from the could dos and should dos and limit decision fatigue.
Grateful: To draw attention to the good in life and to train the brain to see the positive.
Let Go: To let go of stress and acknowledge what is worrisome. Minimizing regret enhances contentment as we age.
Neil reports that this daily two-minute practice has changed his life. He is not necessarily happy all the time, but his two-minute reflection has significantly improved the quality of each day. He has upgraded from individual recipe cards to a journal he keeps at his bedside and encourages us all to give it a try.
Maybe you want to give it a shot right now? Using scrap paper, a word doc, or the notes function on your phone, think about these three questions: For the rest of your day, what will you focus on? What are you grateful for? What can you let go of?
Resources & Sources
You can view the entire article here: This two-minute morning practice will make your day better.