The Best Minute: On optimism, why people break rules, and doing what you’re avoiding

Nov 3

2 QUOTES FROM OTHERS

I. Seth Godin the importance of obsessing over what matters:

“And yet the real success goes to those who obsess. A woodpecker can tap twenty times on a thousand trees and get nowhere, but stay busy. Or he can tap twenty-thousand times on one tree and get dinner.”

II. Rosamund and Benjamin Zander on optimism:

“People who describe the glass as half full are not delusional optimists. In fact, they are more based in reality because they are describing a substance that is actually in the glass. They are describing reality as it is. The cynic who describes the glass as half empty is focusing their energy on something that is not actually there.”

2 IDEAS FROM ME

I. If you have a hard time getting your mind off of work at the end of your workday, create a shutdown routine that will help your brain relax when the workday is done. Here is what my shutdown routine looks like:

Clearing out my inbox
All tasks on my task list are completed or moved to another day
Setting my calendar for the next day
Closing out all internet browser tabs
Cleaning up and organizing my office

I schedule 30 minutes at the end of my workday for all of this to happen. I leave knowing my work is done for the day and the workday tomorrow will be off to a good start.

II. If you can’t understand why someone would think, vote, or behave in a certain way, it’s a sign that you need to take the time to learn where another person is coming from. You don’t have to agree with them, but people often have valid reasons for thinking the way that they do.

1 BOOK THAT I LIKE

Atomic Habits: an Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones by James Clear

From the publisher: “No matter your goals, Atomic Habits offers a proven framework for improving--every day. James Clear, one of the world's leading experts on habit formation, reveals practical strategies that will teach you exactly how to form good habits, break bad ones, and master the tiny behaviors that lead to remarkable results.”

This is one of the best books I have ever read. James Clear breaks down how you create any new habit you desire as well as how to break bad ones. This is one of the only books I have ever taken notes on while reading.

1 INTERESTING FACT

When one rule seems too strict, we want to break more.

Psychologists have studied a phenomenon called reactance: When people perceive certain freedoms being taken away, they not only break that rule, but they break even more than they otherwise would have in an effort to regain their freedom. This could be one of the best psychology facts to explain why a teenager who can't use his phone in class will chew gum while stealthily sending a text.