1. Close all applications
2. Put and music (Gareth Emery + Tiesto)
3. Focus on one thing to accomplish within 25 minutes

I am writing this to remind myself to kill that devil inside. Today it was running. I haven’t been out running for a couple of weeks, and before that I ran twice a week. I felt amazing after each run, and then I stopped. I got into that ‘down period’ and the devil stepped forward.

I need something to remind myself how amazing it feels to punch that devil in the forehead and then do something. I woke up this morning with the devil sitting next to me on the bed. I said to myself: Take a short five-minute run, no more, and let’s see how you feel afterwards. When I came back I was fired up. I couldn’t stop myself from doing kettlebell swings and sit-ups. I jumped into the pool while the devil was hiding under the bed. He’ll probably be there tomorrow, but now I know how to greet him.

Update
Day 1: 5 minute run crushed
Day 2: 8 minute run crushed

She also reminds us that we should make every day count. Time passes by so quickly, and we should do something with our lives. When I think about the past weeks, so many of the days have just slipped by. They are like air when I think back.

Before I get out of bed tomorrow I will tell my self to MAKE THIS DAY COUNT!. We all should regardless of our definition of a worthwhile day.

It’s not the actually task, but your thoughts about the task that are the problem

When you are 100% present, nothing is boring. Take cleaning as an example. When you start cleaning and you are completely present when you wash the floor or wipe the table, then it’s actually not boring. It’s boring before you start cleaning, because it’s when you think about cleaning, not while you’re at it. It’s the same with all the tasks that we postpone; when we get started they are actually ok. Think about how many times you have said: ‘”I hate during this”. A more accurate sentence would be: “I hate thinking about doing this”. The problem is that we think about it instead of just doing it while being present.

So the best strategy to getting things done we don’t like to do is to eliminate the destructive thoughts. Eliminate the thinking and just start on the task immediately. The challenge is then to actually start. My best strategy is to tell myself I only have to do a tiny bit of the task to motivate myself to start. For example “just do 5 minutes” or “just do the vacuuming” or “It only takes 10 minutes”. These tiny steps makes me start, and when I’m at it, I usually continue.

Next time you think something is boring, try doing it.

I few weeks ago I wrote a blog post about things that made be happy. But I actually don’t think any of the things on that list are necessities for me being happy. It’s just things I am used to, and if I get out of the habit of doing them I don’t feel as good. But it’s only temporary. It’s the same thing when I travel and are social everyday, and suddenly that stops, and I feel down. But that’s temporary as well.

Thoreau and many others argue that you can be perfectly happy without any ‘external stimulus’, such as being social, reading, doing sports, having stuff. Happiness comes from within, and you can be happy just by being present, and not think about the future or past. But most people don’t want to live without ‘the things that makes them happy’, including myself. And I don’t think we have to.

I think knowing that we can be happy without anything is important to know and practice. It prevents us from blaming things and routines when we aren’t happy, and forces us to practice being present.

I think we should do the things we love, try new things in the pursuit of happiness. It makes our lives more fun. But I don’t think it’s the essentials of happiness, it’s more like something you put on top. I also thing that one of the reason why we aren’t happy sometimes, is because the topping changes, and we feel like we ‘miss something’. That might be true, but it will always be like that, things change. We need to work on the happiness within, the foundation.

So next time you aren’t happy, don’t ask yourself: Why I am I not happy right now? But instead, practice mindfulness for 5-10 minutes. And remind yourself that many people without anything are perfectly happy everyday.

What are your thoughts on happiness?

• 4 t-shirts
• 1 shirt
• 4 pair of socks
• 2 pair of shorts
• Bathing shorts
• Trekking towel
• Flip-flops
• Five fingers
• Traveling in: jeans, t-shirt, soft-shell jacket, Nike Free shoes, and boxers of course

• Passport
• 2 creditcards
• Miscellanies cards (driver’s licens, insurance, etc.)
• Macbook pro
• Iphone
• Earphones
• Sunglasses
• Camera (currently Sony HX9V)
• Kindle
• Cables for iPhone, Camera, and Macbook
• Deodorant, toothbrush, and toothpaste.

This adds up to around 7-8 kg including my laptop which is 2.5 kg.

So do I then walk around in the same clothes? Yes, but I wash it whenever I need. It takes 5-10 minutes to do yourself, or your traveling somewhere cheap (like Asia) you can a washing service.

Here are some of the things that I love about traveling only with hand luggage:

• You can check in from the web or the self-check in counter at the airport and go directly to the security check saving you the queuing.
• You don’t have to be at the airport 2-3 hours before departure because of the above. I am usually there 75 minutes before departure and I have never missed a flight (until a few days ago, but that’s another story )
• When you arrive, you can flick-flack your way pass the families waiting in the baggage claim area.
• The risk of losing your luggage during your journey is eliminated.
• It takes less than a minute to unpack and repack (huge advantage if you aren’t staying the same place)
• It’s much easier to walk around with a backpack rather than a big fat suitcase that gives up as soon as the road gets bumpy.

Optimism is useful DNA because it leads to action and you accomplish things quicker by being optimistic.

Imagine you give the same boring project to a pessimist, a realist, and an optimist. They all have to write to 50 pages on a subject none of them are interested in.

The pessimist thinks it will take 100 days to complete, the realist 50 days, and the optimist 20 days. With such a boring and burdening task ahead, who do you think will start first? I would argue the optimist, as it’s a lot easier to start writing something boring if it only takes 20 days.
And even if they all started at the same time, the pessimist and the realist will set a lower expectation of what they can accomplish each day compared to the optimist. The optimist thinks 3 pages is possible, so that’s the goal. He might only accomplish 2 pages and get frustrated, but it’s still more than the 1 page that the realist writes.

People who are pessimists and realists might disagree, but then try to do a project with an optimist and see if you discover any advantages of being ‘unrealistic’.

Optimism leads to action and quicker results because the bar is higher
(but don’t take my word for it)

Right now I am working out 3-5 times a week, for example. I do some crossfit workouts, some strength training and running. And for the first time I haven’t had a goal like ‘I have to do 3 crossfit WOD’s, 2 strength sessions, and run twice a week’. I just go with the flow. Sometimes I feel like doing crossfit, sometimes strength, sometimes run. It’s pure freedom.

Here are some of the advantages that I have discovered:

• You don’t feel guilty about not sticking to the plan, because you don’t have any.
• You are a lot more creative, because you don’t have something ‘fixed’ to follow.
• You enjoy the activity a lot more because you don’t have any pre-set expectations of it.

I found the answer was by doing very little each day in the morning before everything else. I call this time My Sacred Hour now. It works so well, that I will do my best to make this a habit when the project is finished.

I am surprised  by how much I can get done with 30-45 minutes of focused time in the morning. My mind is clutter-free as I have just slept and haven’t gotten any input yet. I found that for this to work, it’s absolutely vital that I don’t do anything that can give me inputs. Output first, always.

The idea of having A Sacred Hour every morning excites me. I want to devote these minutes to something that has big impact on my life. Here are some ideas to My Sacred Hour when the project is done:

• Starting a ‘minimalist business‘ selling only one product online
• Writing a small book about something I am excited about
• Reading non-fiction books to spike my learning
• Learning Indonesian or Spanish

1. Physical activity. Crossfit, running, strength training, walking.
2. Reading. I love reading a good book, mostly non-fiction.
3. Writing. For me, writing is a way to get my thoughts more structured. It’s a great source of learning for me as it helps me reflect.
4. Music. Listening to good music can really affect my mood in a good way. The right music can make me work faster and help me focus. Good music means the difference between a good night out and a bad night out.
5. Solitude. Time alone is a must for me. It helps me reflect and ‘see things from the outside’.
6. Traveling. This should probably have been the first one. Traveling is an addiction to me. I think it’s the constant flow of new experiences. It makes me feel alive.
7. Minimalism. This is kind of a broad one. But it makes me happy to focus my priorities by spending less, traveling with less, and having less things. I am not the perfect minimalist, but every time a take a ‘minimalistic step’, it feels right, and makes me happy.