Welcome to another day of Apex Money! Today, I’ve got three stories for you about mastering a productive mindset.
How to tackle a mountain of tasks. [Zen Habits] — “You can’t tackle everything at once. You just have to get started. What I’ve learned is that once you get started, and start having fun with it, you’ll see some progress, and then there’s a snowball effect where you keep getting encouraged by your progress. So you just have to get the ball rolling.”
A simple, pragmatic guide to getting things done. [Erlend Hamberg] — “What GTD gives you—when understood and implemented properly—is a foolproof system for keeping track of what you need to do, should do, or should consider to do. When your system and your trust in your system is in place, your subconsciousness will stop keeping track of all the things you need to do and stop constantly reminding you. This reduces stress and frees up precious brain time to more productive thinking.”
In defense of mindfulness. [Slate] — “Even a very basic engagement with mindfulness can be good for your wellbeing. Researchers have found that a ‘microdose’ of practice (say, 10 minutes a day, or even five) can have beneficial effects, such as decreased stress and anxiety and increased happiness and connection. Other research has revealed that mindfulness correlates highly with the ability to savor the positive, feel gratitude, and experience satisfaction.”
Our final article today isn’t about fiscal fitness. It’s about physical fitness. And it’s a good one. From The New York Times (so, possible paywall), here’s a story that summarizes new research on longevity:
You won’t live longer by diet or exercise alone. [The New York Times] — “Most people know that working out and eating well are critical components of overall health. But a sweeping study published this week in the British Journal of Sports Medicine suggests that hitting the gym won’t counteract the consequences of consuming fat-laden foods, and mainlining kale can’t cancel out sedentary habits.”
One of my big pet peeves is folks who argue “diets don’t work”. Diets do work — but they have to be done right. And once you achieve the results you’re after, you can’t just let go. Lasting physical fitness is a result of ongoing choices.
Okay, that’s it for today. I’ll be back tomorrow for one final installment this week.