Sweetening my wife’s piping hot cup of Joe with Stevia® seems to take about 4 drops to meet her taste … But, 5 drops, that’s too much. And at 2 or 3 drops her disappointment is palpable. It’s such a small effort to sweeten a coffee. So easy to do it right or not to do it at all. I’ve found that remembering what gives her the experience she wants, that’s most rewarding is worth figuring out and then remembering – so I can recreate that perfect experience again and again. Although she’s not much of a fan of coffee’s taste she does enjoy the boost from time to time…
It’s rewarding to get the drops right.
To learn how to commit to something that’s rewarding.
And to follow through.
I love the taste and experience of a hot morning coffee and I don’t usually put anything in it to change the flavor at all… Not that I’m a purest – it’s just that the rich, warm, earthy flavor of coffee paired with my morning routine suits me just fine. But, as I think about it… I also love bringing it together with my creative work, studying, meeting with a friend, browsing a used bookstore… because what feels good to me is a unique experience, worthy of consideration – so I can have more experiences like that.
There’s actually a lot of little things that I enjoy – and that are immensely rewarding when I take the time to plan them into my day…. some more than others. Things that inspire me, give me a boost in all areas – including how I feel, how I perform and even the success of my business endeavors – and how I can bring my loving, present and creative best to others in my love. Which only seems possible if I make a plan, so I can map it out respectful others needs and plans.
Some include …
- Doing my morning run, lifting and interval training
- Meditating with headspace
- Eating a spinach salad
- Popping my Juice Plus and other supplements
- Planning a 2 day bicycle adventure with my friend
- Knocking out the landscaping project with my wife
- Working on the Celebrating Partnership work with my wife
- Splashing in the big hot tub with the kids
- Training my new assistant on our customer service program
- Writing a longform lead ad for my business
- Working by the water or for a few days in Fiji
- Calling a client to check-in on their progress, share ideas and feedback
Sometimes in looking back over my life it’s easy to see where I’ve not been putting even the smallest drop of the flavoring I enjoy into my calendar… Not even one. Sure, I’ve done them once or twice, here and there when problems arise or if I’m inspired… But, I feel so much more excited, fulfilled and alive when I sprinkle them in consistently – into my daily routines and my plans – not just because the experience tastes good… Not just because it makes life vibrant adventurous, soul fulfilling and rewarding… not only because it helps my business thrive and energizes me and helps me grow…
But, because I also LOVE the boost it gives me in everything I do…. The VITAL ENERGY.
…In how I show up today for those I care about.
How the loving relationship I enjoy with my wife makes me a powerhouse at writing that new training material… and, my morning workout lights up my joy filled playtime with my son Finn as we throw the football around the yard… It seems that these are just little drops, but over time – they work together to fill me up.
It does seem like we know what we’d like to do now, right? We can even get motivated and inspired to sweeten today…
So, maybe just one drop is fine.
But, maybe consistent drops would be more rewarding?
And maybe they’d add up … compounding the good stuff over time.
I’m taking out my pen, paper and calendar to find out.
Join me?
Let’s try it… Just a little experiment.
Let’s see how it works out.
Be sure to let me know below and of course subscribe to my blog if you’d like to see more Minimalist Business Experiments 😉
Minimalist Business Experiments 