It’s almost the New Year, and almost a new decade, so of course I’m thinking about how to be successful and improve my life (have I mentioned I’m a USian?).
Leo Babauta has devised a three-step process for this. It’s very simple, and it improves with practice.
Here’s Babauta’s simple (not always easy) method:
- Create a space. Put aside all the messages, social media, distractions, smaller tasks, organizing and tidying, checking on one more thing. Instead, have a small space (even just 10-15 minutes) for this important task, and nothing else. You can do it now: set aside the next 15 minutes for this task, and tell yourself this is the only thing you’ll do for the next 15 minutes. It’s that easy.
- Meditate on meaning and feelings. For just a minute, mindfully drop into your body and feel your fear, resistance, frustration, overwhelm. Let yourself feel it fully. Then let yourself feel the love you feel for those who you’ll be serving by doing this task. Do they matter to you? (It might be you, loved ones, customers, a team, the world, etc.) Let yourself fully feel what you feel for them, as if your heart were wide open. This step only has to take a minute or two.
- Do the smallest next step. Now pick the smallest action you can take to get the ball rolling with your meaningful task. If you have a paper to write, can you just focus on writing a few paragraphs? If you have to do your taxes, can you just get your documents together? If you have to organize your house, can you just organize one drawer? Get moving, translating your love into a small action.
New Year. New Life. Get to it!