The Best Minute: Choosing not to, not having enough time, and how to teach
1 IDEA FROM ME
If you find yourself having trouble consistently doing something you want to do, instead of saying things like “I didn’t have time to get to …” or “I forgot to do …” start saying “I chose not to.”
For example:
I chose not to exercise enough this week
I chose not to read
I chose not to set up the appointment
I chose not to finish that project
When we use passive excuses (i.e. I didn’t have enough time), we trick ourselves into thinking there was not much we could have done about it. When we use active explanations (i.e. I chose not to), we correctly asses the problem; which is that we did not do what we should have done to ensure the proper outcome. In the end, the blame is on us. If we own it, it will encourage us to make the proper corrections next time.
2 QUOTES FROM OTHERS
I. Tyler Staton on two excuses we give for not having enough time.
“There are certain people who think they don't have time because they are filling their life with nonessentials. But there are other people who think they don't have time because there are things they are unwilling to minimize.”
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II. Gustav Friedrich Waagen on how to teach so people learn:
“First delight, then instruct.”
1 INTERESTING FACT
A little water can add up to a lot of snow.
The air doesn’t need to be super moist to produce impressive amounts of snow. Unlike plain rainfall, a bank of fluffy snow contains lots of air that adds to its bulk. That’s why what would have been an inch of rain in the summer equals about 10 inches of snow in the colder months.
1 QUESTION TO LEAVE YOU WITH
What do you really wish you had the courage to do? How can you take the first step in the next 5 minutes?
P.S. Happy New Year.
