There are 72 twenty-minute periods each day. Extrapolating that over an entire week reveals there are 504 of these each week. This article is about consciously finding five of those twenty-minute islands (less than 1% of your total time) and doing something that improves the remaining 99%. Finding and isolating those twenty-minute islands, and devoting them to your well-being will refresh and revitalize your inner self. You owe it to yourself and the people in your life to be the best you. This weekly habit will foster a new outlook and a new ‘inlook’, by providing a few dedicated moments outside your normal daily routine to invigorate and fertilize your contentment. Here are 5 suggestions of how to enjoy your 20-minute mini-retreats.
1. Listen
Block your calls for 20 minutes and listen to Classical music. (Earbuds in or headphones on to isolate ambient noise). Here are a few recommendations and links:
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5, Adagio HERE 10 minutes
F. Liszt: “Standchen” Piano Transcriptions After Schubert by Khatia Buniatshvili HERE 6 1/2 minutes
Tchaikovsky: 1812 Overture (Full with Cannons) HERE 15 minutes
2. Write
Write a letter to a friend. Tell them about a special memory you have of them. Place it in an envelope, address it, stamp it, and mail it. Your friend will be thrilled to receive this special piece of mail. It will stand apart from all the mundane junk mail and irritating bills as a little island of pleasure for them. You’ve done a good thing – feel good about it.
3. Invite
Spend 20 minutes chatting with a friend in a quiet place, away from the office. Your front porch, a park bench, sitting on a blanket in your yard, or on the tailgate of your pickup truck – any venue will do. Just make it different and about them. Buy them a coffee, a popsicle, or a snack bar – anything really to get your mind in a different place (and your body in a different space).
4. Plan
Plan a picnic for yourself, friends, or family.
Spend 20 minutes thinking about where you would like to enjoy the experience, who you will invite, when you want to do it (check the weather), and what you would like to pack for food and supplies. This gives a special purpose to not only this day, but to the picnic day as well. If rain spoils your plans on the big day, take the picnic indoors.
If you are stuck for picnic food ideas, here is a link, courtesy of Southern Living Magazine.
5. Read
Devote 20 minutes to reading a book. Choose a genre and author you like. At the end of the 20 minutes, mark your place and close the book.
If you are seeking some inspiration and could use energizing, try Og Mandino’s “The Greatest Salesman in the World”. It is not just for salespeople, and will give you a wonderful mindset and lift your soul. The entire book can be read in about two hours, but why hurry? Find it on Amazon.
Finding 5 tiny islands of time out of 504 possibilities each week is doable. You probably noticed that the five suggestions above were not really all about you. The mix of inner focus and outer engagement is purposeful, intended to channel a small segment of your life each week to a special place. Don’t feel guilty about how you spend this 1% of your time. You are worth it. You deserve it.
Welcome to 3-Minutes A Day University, where every day you can learn a little about a lot of things in three minutes or less. We help you expand your knowledge and understanding of the real world, and 3-MAD University is tuition-free. Our wide-ranging syllabus includes a fascinating insight into topics including Health and Medicine, Science, Sports, Geography, History, Culinary Arts, Finance and the Economy, Music and Entertainment, and dozens more. You will impress yourself, your friends, and your family with how easy it is to learn facts and perspectives about the world around you. One topic you will never find covered is politics. We hope you enjoyed the previous three minutes.
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