In our last couple +1s (here and here), we spent some time with Cal Newport.
As you may recall, I am deeply inspired by his wisdom-admonition: “Don’t take breaks from distraction. Instead, take breaks from focus.”
We also discussed the fact that Cal showed up in a recent Economist article that featured a couple of self-development gurus: James Clear and Arnold Bennett.
If you’re even remotely interested in self-development and/or have been even remotely following along, I’m 99% sure you know that James Clear is the best-selling author of Atomic Habits. (Check out those Notes for more.)
But…
Even if you’re REALLY into self-development, you probably haven’t heard of (let alone studied) Arnold Bennett and his great little book How to Live on 24 Hours a Day.
So…
That’s what we’re going to discuss Today.
Let’s get to work.
Arnold Bennett was born in 1867. He was an English novelist and playwright. He was a contemporary of Dale Carnegie.
I got his great little book after Carnegie raved about it in How to Win Friends and Influence People.
In his tiny little booklet, Bennett tells us that most people focus on how to get by on a budget of X dollars per day but what we really should be thinking about is how we can most effectively use the precious twenty-four hours we’re given every day.
Here’s how he puts it: “You have to live on this twenty-four hours of daily time. Out of it you have to spin health, pleasure, money, content, respect, and the evolution of your immortal soul. Its right use, its most effective use, is a matter of the highest urgency and of the most thrilling actuality. All depends on that. Your happiness—the elusive prize that you are all clutching for, my friends!—depends on that. Strange that the newspapers, so enterprising and up-to-date as they are, are not full of ‘How to live on a given income of time,’ instead of ‘How to live on a given income of money!’”
He continues by saying: “Which of us is not saying to himself—which of us has not been saying to himself all his life: ‘I shall alter that when I have a little more time’?”
And: “We never shall have any more time. We have, and we have always had, all the time there is. It is the realization of this profound and neglected truth ... that has led me to the practical examination of daily-time expenditure.”
And…
THAT’s Today’s +1.
We’ll explore some more great Ideas from his great little book in our next +1s.
For now…
What’s ONE thing you KNOW you could START doing TODAY that would help you get the most out of the next 24 hours?!
Got it?
Awesome.
Crush it.
And…
What’s ONE thing you KNOW you could STOP doing TODAY that would help you get the most out of the next 24 hours?!
Got it?
Awesome.
STOP doing that.
PRO TIP REMINDER: Remember… The fastest way to change our lives is almost always (!) removing the negative habits (kryptonites!) that are depleting our power.
Here’s to squeezing the joyful juice out of our next 24 hours.
It’s Day 1.
We’re ALL IN.
Let’s go!
P.S. Check out our Masterpiece Days 101 for more goodness on the subject.
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