The Best Argument For Minimalism I've Found So Far
Look, I'm not trying to get you to give up all your stuff and be a dish towel wearing hermit.I'm asking you to look seriously at your baggage (physical, social, and emotional) and decide what actually adds value to your life.Here's a great example:
This is a photo of a divorcing couple, in court, dividing up their beanie babies.
I don't know the details of this breakup, so it could be a completely healthy one for all I know.All I can tell you is that it looks an awful lot like they are valuing the wrong stuff.Consider this a strong visual representation of "Christmas Yet To Come."Whether it's physical stuff, emotional stuff, work projects, ideas, or whatever--it's up to you to make sure you're focusing your time and energy on the few things that truly add value.The rest is all noise.The rest is a distraction.
2 Minute Action
What is your intention for today?What will you accomplish?What will you get done no matter what gets in your way?Decide on one, focused thing and get going.
Prove Me Wrong: All Of Life Is A Game Of Luck
You were born with a functional brain.You were born outside of a warzone.You were born as a human being with opposable thumbs.You were born right here, in this century.You were born with the desire to improve yourself and the world.You were born with enough resources to get the traction to start making things happen in your life.You were born with the opportunities to learn social skills.You were born with the opportunities to work for a living.I could keep going, but I think you get the point.You're lucky. I'm lucky. Most of us are lucky.All those thoughts in your head that tell you the opposite aren't considering the whole context.And without getting into the long explanation of the subtle, nuanced interaction between DNA and environment . . . I think we can all appreciate how much luck we had before we even started.
2 Minute Action
Reframe your thoughts for the next 2 minutes.
- What ways have you been successful?
- What gifts have you been given?
- What opportunities do you have?
Reflect on this and it will turn it into positivity and optimism.That optimism will quickly turn it into your fuel for the day.Go get 'em.
The Weird Way Selling A Mattress Can Help You Focus
There are two types of people who buy mattresses in the world.
One kind of person hates buying a mattress and thinks they should never have to buy one.The other kind of person thinks that buying a mattress is an important decision because you spend 30% of your life asleep and getting the right mattress really will make a difference.
Most mattress salespeople don’t realize this but they actually get to choose who they sell to.
How much time and money you spend acquiring those customers is completely up to you.
This logic works outside of the sales world, too.
If you’re going to invest your time an energy on something, it’s worth figuring out how to best get your return on investment.Focusing on what’s working and dropping methods that aren’t efficient will make a huge difference in your output.
2 Minute Action
If you only have 20 minutes to exercise, it’s better to do compound movements that work large muscle groups at once instead of isolating muscles.If you buy the same kind of soap, it’s better to buy a bunch of it when it goes on sale because you will immediately make a guaranteed ROI.If you’re going to write a book, it’s better to write about what you know on a blog for 4 years while you build an audience. When you’ve written a thousand blog posts, you’ll have written your first book and you’ll already have a group of people ready to buy it.Its hard enough to do important work, you need to make sure that when you do anything you have some advantages from the start.