#6: only five minutes
What’s on my mind
Habits take time to develop.
Some are easier to integrate into our existing routines, and some take more effort.
Take exercising as an example. We know it benefits us in many ways. Yet, making time for it—alongside other more “urgent” tasks—takes conscious effort. And when the effort outweighs the benefits (in our minds), we put it off. For a week, a year, or an entire decade.
Here’s an alternative: ease into it.
If working out for 45 minutes is too big of a commitment, how about 5 minutes? Set the timer as you start, and once it’s at 300 seconds, call it! Do it for a month, then go up by another 5 minutes.
And 5 more the next…
What have you been putting off for a while?
Spend 5 minutes on it right this moment.
This week’s stories
💌 Advice I keep emailing myself
I like Edward’s approach of emailing himself. Since he’s aiming for “inbox zero”, he ensures whatever he sends to his inbox gets checked and acted on, including these important reminders.
Here’s what I took away from it: actively paying attention to what excites you, and using it as a sign to do more of that thing.
Notice what it is that makes you feel energized and happy and do more of that.
Spend (a lot of) time with people you like.
{9-min read}
💭 Lead yourself first
We can’t help others before helping ourselves.
We can’t love others before loving ourselves.
And we certainly can’t lead others before leading ourselves first.
On this topic, I highly recommend Peter Drucker’s Managing Oneself. It’s a tiny, yet valuable read.
{2-min read}
🎙 Umms, likes, and being heard
I’m guilty of this.
Sometimes I use filler words in conversation to indicate that I’m not done yet. Other times, I use it as a way to borrow some time to think. Sometimes it just comes out.
How about replacing them with silence instead?
And, “persuading yourself that the person you're talking to will give you the floor, that he won't jump in the moment you hesitate.”
{1-min read}
📺 99U Conference talks: available online and free
This year’s entire 99U Conference went ahead as an online-only event. The line-ups usually feature a nice mix of creators doing talks, masterclasses, and workshops.
And you can now watch all of them, for free!
I can’t help but think what exciting times we live in!
To have the ability to consume this much valuable content, from the comfort of our desks, couches, or pillows.
{enjoy it at your leisure}
🖐 The 5 most valuable skills you can develop for free
Somewhat underrated skills that we’re not taught in school, yet so fundamental to get right and master.
Curiosity drives improvement in just about every other skill area — it’s an engine that fuels people to become smart, well-rounded, creative, and innovative.
{6-min read}
Final Thought
Civilization advances by extending the number of important operations we can perform without thinking about them.