The Best Minute: On being thankful, good ideas, and counter-intuitive email

2 QUOTES FROM OTHERS

I. Frank A. Clark on being thankful:

“If a fellow isn’t thankful for what he’s got, he isn’t likely to be thankful for what he’s going to get.”

II. Arthur van Hoff on getting a good idea:

“Over the years, I've learned that the first idea you have is irrelevant. It's just a catalyst for you to get started. Then you figure out what's wrong with it and you go through phases of denial, panic, regret. And then you finally have a better idea and the second idea is always the important one.”

2 IDEAS FROM ME

I. The most accomplished people I know never seem to describe their life as “busy.” It’s as if busyness is not only not something that helps you achieve more, but is a primary impediment. Prioritize what is important and create habits to help you avoid spending time on things that get in the way (social media, phone use, etc.).

II. Here is a counter-intuitive way to help you stay on top of your email: always respond.

Don’t put off responding to your emails, this way you’ll deal with them as they come in instead of seeing them multiple times before ever doing something with them.

Couple that with only checking your email when you plan on dealing with them, and you’ll then be an email pro. Don’t passively check them when you are looking for something to do. Schedule times when you will check your email knowing you will deal with everything in your inbox.

Click here if you want to read my process for getting to and staying at inbox zero.

1 INTERESTING FACT

Historians have no record of turkey being eaten at the first Thanksgiving.

The first Thanksgiving Day feast happened in 1621 with three whole days dedicated to the celebration. Although turkey was plentiful in the region and a common food source, it's likely that it wasn’t actually the star of the festivities and other "fowling" was served for the occasion. Instead, "ducks, geese, and swans" are believed to have been served to the English settlers and Native Americans.

Source: House Beautiful