For some people 10 minutes is an eternity.
I live and work in the world of sports. For LeBron James, with 10 minutes to go in the fourth quarter, he’s just starting to think about leading the comeback.
Quarterbacks famous for game-winning drives like Elway, Montana, Manning and Brady have won a lot of games in less than 2 minutes.
Recently, I have noticed how using 10 minutes can really make a difference in my own life.
Here are some practices I have discovered that can make a difference in 10 minutes or less:
- A good stretch in the morning—what a difference this makes to give my physical body some much-needed attention first thing in the morning.
- Generate a list of all the things I am grateful for during the day when things seem to be falling apart.
- Write three handwritten thank you notes to express appreciation and gratitude to well-deserving friends.
- Much of my office days are structured around one-hour appointments and phone calls. I have found that ending meetings after 50 minutes, to allow for 10 minutes of personal debrief, follow-up and preparation for the next appointment, reduces stress and aids in focus.
- Finally, here is one that I am just learning. It is a discipline that helps me to stay present in the moment and give my best to what is in front of me by reducing distraction. Answering and connecting with three questions helps greatly:
- How am I according to my five senses – smelling, hearing, touching, tasting and seeing?
- What is my general mood?
- What is my mood toward my circumstances, a particular person, an issue, etc.?
OK, as you can imagine, there are hundreds of profitable ways to spend 10 minutes.
