Change Your Life: 2 Minutes a Day

 

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step”.-Lao Tzu

“The distance is nothing: it is only the first step that is difficult.”-Madame Marie du Deffand

Making a positive change in your life does not have to be about making a huge leap. But I believe that belief is one of those things that hold people back from improving their life and world.

            A simpler way that more often results in actual action being taken and new habits being established in my life at least is to take smaller steps but many of them.

            So today I’d like to share 10 quick habits that can help you to change your life in just 2 minutes or so a day.

            Through these small steps you can start to build habits that become stronger and over time can change your life in ways you perhaps can’t imagine now.

            To remember to actually do one of the things below each day I recommend writing down a simple reminder.

            Put it on your nightstand so that you see it when you wake up each morning. Or put the note in your workspace so you see it early in your day. If you like and if possible, expand on the small habit after week or two and do it for just a few more minutes a day.

1.
Just start working for 2 minutes on your most important task.

I use this one at least one day every week.
On some days I simply don’t feel like getting started with work. I’d much rather stay lazily on the sofa.
So on such days I just start to work for 2 minutes on my most important task.
That is the deal.
The thing is: getting started is pretty much always the hardest part.
After I have started moving and been at work for those 2 minutes it is usually pretty easy to just continue working on that task.

2.
Review and appreciate your day at the end of it.

If you do good things during the day and get things done then that can raise your self-esteem. If you reflect upon that you have done so that is.
So take two minutes of the end of your workday. Appreciate what you did and what you thought.
That is what I will do when I am done with this article and workday.

3.
Set a low bar for happiness for the day.

One thing I like to tell myself when I wake up in the morning is this: “Have a low bar for happiness today.”
As I tell myself this and try to keep it in mind during the day I appreciate things more.
The food, my work, the weather, the small events of the day becomes not everyday stuff but something I feel happy to have.
The small or what may be something one takes for granted becomes something I now often pause for a moment or two to take in and appreciate.
But if I become happier in my everyday life for the smaller things does that mean that I become unmotivated to keep working towards the bigger things?
Nope.
This way of looking at my life actually fuels me with more energy and inspiration, life becomes lighter and I feel less inner resistance as I explore and work towards both small and bigger things.

4.
Breathe when stressed.

When stress catches up with you, when you start to feel anxious, irritated and or fearful because of it then take 2 minutes.
Sit down.
Breathe through your nose and do it rather deeply with your belly.
Focus on just for your breathing for those 2 minutes. Nothing else.
This will calm your mind down and you can resume your work in a more focused and relaxed mood after that.

5.
Open up your senses to what is here now.

Pull yourself out of the past where you relive an old conflict and drag yourself further down a depressing spiral. Pull yourself out of the the future where you imagine a catastrophe at your next meeting, date or presentation.
Place yourself and your attention on where you really are. Here and now.
Do so by sitting down for 2 minutes.
See what is right in front of you.
Listen to the birds and cars outside.
Feel the autumn sun shining in through the window onto your clothes and skin.
Sense the small draft from one of the windows.
Be here fully with all your senses for those 2 minutes.
This will relax your mind and body. Thinking will become easier. And an optimistic viewpoint will feel more natural.

6.
When you feel the need to judge someone tap into understanding instead.

When you feel the need to judge someone you know or may not know then take 2 minutes. Ask yourself these two questions:
What parts of this person can I see in myself?
How is he or she like me?
Why do that instead of judging?
Because no one wants to be judged in a negative way and doing so to the people in your life doesn’t help to build good relationships.
Plus, the amount you tend to judge others often tends to be how much you judge yourself too.
So, help yourself to live a more positive life in those two ways by pausing when feeling the need to judge and then choose something better.

7.
Think for a minute and give someone a genuine compliment.

Spend one minute on coming up with something you really and genuinely appreciate about someone in your life and that is in the same room as you at some point during the day.
Spend the other minute or less on telling him or her the compliment.
She or he will be happy. You’ll feel good about yourself and probably get some positive feelings too from the now happy and complimented person.
It’s a good and small way to build more positive relationships.

8.
Hug.

It’s a small thing but physical intimacy can reduce stress and make us feel good. So, spend 2 minutes of your day on hugging.
Like compliments it can be a simple way to build warmer and more positive relationships with all kinds of people in your life.
Just use your common sense before you start hugging.

9.
Be interested instead of interesting.

At the start of a conversation or to break the ice spend two minutes on asking one or a couple of questions about someone you are talking to and his or her life.
Pay attention and don’t just wait for your turn to talk again.
The interest you give will most likely be returned and you can start to build not only a good conversation but also a giving and fulfilling relationship for the two of you no matter what kind of relationship it may be.

10.
Mix things up.
Try the opposite…

Have the vegetarian dish if you always go for the meat.
Walk away from a stupid conflict instead of making it worse.
Let one thing go if you often cling to things.
Say yes to something spontaneous if you often say no and stick with your daily routine.
Take 2 minutes or less in one common or negative situation in your life today, pause for a brief reflection and then make a decision that is uncommon for you.
Make a habit of mixing things up to have more fun. To grow your life in small or bigger ways. To add unexpected experiences.
To make it easier and simpler to step out of your comfort zone in general when you really need to.
And to feel alive. 

 

Nine Things Successful People Do Differently

 

    It is very often that we wonder why some of our goals remained incomplete while some was accomplished lucratively .Not always is it an easy job to understand why we fail .Even the greatest and highest achievers have borne the feeling of failure and letdown at some point in life. However, success does not simple lie on what you want to achieve. The broader answer is in how you approach to reach your desired goal. Over the decades, researchers have found that successful people have certain    practices and behavioral traits that contribute to their achievements.

 Be specific: 

    When it comes to fixing on a particular goal, it is better to decide something specific rather than something vague. “Finish task in next 24 hours” is a better goal than “Finish work as quickly as possible”. Specific goals help people to be more organized and be active on their plans. Decision making is more efficient and certainly the effort is more focused and goal oriented.

Seize the moment to act on your goals:

     Life has become very busy and hectic nowadays, and it is not at all uncommon when people slip out of their goals merely because they fail to accommodate time. But in the motion to achieve a set goal, you must be regular and give it enough time. If you have planned to finish a task within 24 hours, it is a must for you to find time and work accordingly no matter how eventful the day may go. Studies have shown that allocating time properly increases the chance of success by300%.

Constantly revise your progress: 

    A goal will only be fulfilled when all aspects have been carried out successfully and effectively. For that, constant progress review is essential.

Without knowing how much is left to do or what are the elements that are missing, there is a high probability that the goal may probability that the goal may not be reached successfully. Human capacity, both physically and mentally is varying it is subject to continuous change. Hence, revising work progress will help to spot out the shortcomings and give the scope to correct it before it before ti is too late! New set of skills maybe developed, if need be for further enriching the goal.

Be optimistic:

    When pursuing a goal, it is advisable to keep negative thoughts and pessimistic ideas away from your mind. That will make you distracted and unfocused. Optimistic thoughts act as a strong motivator and will push you to carry on despite all the hurdles that may make your journey difficult. Simply by reminding yourself about the flying colors of success ahead, you can    be     optimistic.

Focusing on getting better rather than being good: 

    There is no scale that can limit better. Improvement is a continuous process, and the best can only be achieved by striving to be better. Once the minimum or required standard has been reached, focus on how to be even better. Success comes to those who turn the good into the best. Therefore, put additional effort in developing yourself effort in developing yourself. The belief that there is always room for improvement will make you more eligible, more prepared to take risks, and appreciate the journey towards the aspiring destination.

 Have grit: 

    Grit is the commitment to persevere with long term goals and work dedicatedly in spite of all the roadblocks. There are no free lunches! No matter what you want to achieve for yourself, challenges will come along the way. And this is more common when the goal is for long term. Nevertheless, if you set your mind that your enthusiasm will remain unshakable, success will be just around the corner!

Build strong willpower: 

    People can be successful when the    themselves have the willpower to achieve something. It is literally impossible to bring out the best from someone who is unwilling or reluctant. If work is done forcefully the progress will gradually weaken leading to a point where the whole purpose will fade away. In order to avoid such circumstances, goals on which you will not give up should be set. To build strong will power certain exercises can help remarkably like give up high fat snacks, do 100 sit-ups a day, stand up straight when you catch yourself slouching, try to learn a new skill. Start with

     Just one activity and go easy on it. Once your understanding about the goal is comprehensible and you are determined, you can pace up and start to apply numerous skills that you have developed. "Give up high –fat snacks, do 100 sit-ups a day, stand up straight when you catch yourself slouching, try to learn a new skill”.-Heidi Grant Halvorson

Do not temp fate: 

    No matter how efficient you are and how strongly you have set your will power, never overstress yourself. Do one task at a time. Avoid putting yourself    into unsuitable challenges purely out of overconfidence.

Focus on what you will do, not on what you will not do: 

    When you fix specific goals, time is a limiting factor. To make the best use of time it is most appropriate to concentrate on what you want to do rather than what you do not want to do. Chalk out your plans vividly, consider the pros and cons and act upon what is to be done. The “don’t do’s” will get eliminated naturally if all your effort is based on what you need to do. To increase concentration, deep breathing is very good practice. If you have spare time, try meditation. Relaxation will reduce stress level and refresh your mind.

    Every individual has their own style and own definition of success. At one end there are people who are satisfied with small success and achievements in life, while on the other end there are people who believe sky is the limit. Whichever way you choose for yourself, walk on these nine tips and hopefully you shall find yourself standing on the verge of success, sooner or later.

Based on an article by

Heidi Grant