Sometimes it can be very satisfying to do a small thing, and compared to its ease, put the puzzle puzzle into the slot on the right, put the phone screen spotlessly, return the tool to the specified hook, or wipe the bevels on the carefully crafted sandwich.
This simple satisfaction seems casual. For most of the time, you’re busy all day, and the tiny movements that make up your life seem mostly obstacles: walk through a rotating fence, hoping it won’t grab awkwardly, stuff the plug of your phone charger into the outlet, trying to put a bunch of printer paper into the plastic tray.
No matter what your day is, life ends up consisting of billions of small movements: small movements of hands, feet, eyes, or thoughts. Whether these actions feel like round pins in perfect holes or scratching your bush as you go beyond them doesn’t depend on what these actions are, not how you perform them. If the mind is moving beyond the current action, reaching the revolving door, or when the printer light is green again, the action will basically be a little painful on the butt. If thoughts habitually act with small but necessary actions, life is mainly made of tiny pain in the butt.
When the thought remains in touch with the action itself, those small actions will feel better and more meaningful than fixed on things outside of it. If you scramble to find scissors in a garbage drawer, life will feel a little annoying until you find them because you just want to hold the scissors in your hand and go to the next thing. Instead, if you open the drawer and make it a small task to look for scissors as your current center of life, then looking for scissors is OK and when you find scissors it feels good. Doing this requires only a small part of effort – aiming your attention at the behavior itself, not beyond – but there are much less friction and annoyance involved and satisfying (rather than just merely) ease) About completing it.
Essentially, the small action you are taking and doing a small focus task from it. Find the scissors in this drawer. Put the broom back on the hook. Pour a glass of water. You circle it around a fictional wall, making it a small, two to ten arc, you care only about tiny tasks.
Then you watch the end of this little task, in just a few seconds. You can look at your hands folding the towel, or buttoning the shirt, or lifting the faucet pole. You will notice any obvious aesthetic details, such as the formation of bubbles and dispersions when the glass is in, and the “chhhhhh” sound of running water.
Performing tiny tasks is just a real interest in witnessing what is happening here, and it only takes a few seconds. Fill the glass here. Hang your coat here. Then, a small task is completed and you continue on the day.
You don’t need to think about it, nor do you need to be picky about it. Don’t worry about slowly or “attention”. Your body already knows what to do. Your job is just watching the conclusions of this job, like a curious little movie clip. Too short, you won’t be bored.
I realized that it sounds totally unnecessary. This type of action is so small and easy that it doesn’t require much attention at all. Yes: Do small tasks for these events yes Unnecessary – If all you care about is accomplishing things. However, your quality of life is also important, and you can get a lot from ~3-10 seconds of conscious action, not just through inertia. It’s hard to express rewards accurately because they’re subtle, aesthetic and absolutely right in the brain – maybe even “spiritual” if you don’t mind the word. If nothing else, inserting the occasional little task is somewhat satisfying and will make you feel less rushed and focused.
You must keep these tasks real Very small, making them easy to stay from beginning to end. We are talking about putting something in the order of putting it on a cabinet or shelf, returning the tool back to its hook, sweeping the floor along one edge of the kitchen floor, putting on a hat or a pair of gloves, wiping the dirt bits from the stove, getting electricity from the stove, or writing the date and time on the sticker. Even brushing your teeth or taking out trash is too long and complicated to be a small task – it needs to be unfolded in seconds.
(However, you can take on a small part of the bigger tasks, such as storing a bag in a trash, or applying toothpaste and making it a small task.)
The key is to watch tiny tasks with interest – literally See It’s done. curious. Say you are turning on the light switch; watch this event happen as if you have never seen it before. Notice. Stay quiet so you can hear it.
You may argue that you have Know What happens when you turn on the light switch, so you don’t need to observe it happening. Look at it anyway. Let the details appear. Press the switch, hear “clumsy” or “fwap” sounds, or whatever sounds that end up appearing, and watch the room become its glowing version. The task is completed.
The appearance and feel of this tiny event may be slightly different. Importantly, you know that you already know the function of the optical switch.
Enjoy the revelation when you pull open the cabinet to put the plate down. Please note the sound when placing the dishes on the chimney. You can do this entirely. It’s strange to see tiny tasks reaching the “Complete” state. All your work – all your work you draw, cut, fill, stir, type, form, fold, crush, straighten, let go, look back at you immediately if you pay attention.
You don’t need every little thing to take a tiny step, which will quickly bring you into thoughts about boredom and obligation. Just pick the action here and there, see them, and notice the look, feel and sound of how it looks, feels and sounds. Don’t do a lot of things, don’t think about it, just look at the small things and get done. Then continue.
I think most people can get access to some kind of exquisite magic. This tiny task seems to stimulate some integrity parts of the human brain. It can feel like enjoying the perfect poetry or movie moment. Once you get the hint of this magic, you can naturally find it in smaller and smaller behavior until you glance at the clock or page number, or make a single stroke that forms the backbone of Capital B.
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Kelly Sikkema, Alexander Mass, Daniele Salutari, Gabriella Clare Marino and the Cup
