2319: 2-Minute Drill

TGIF!

I've just completed reading James Clear's latest 3-2-1 weekly newsletter and found his challenge for the week intriguing. The challenge revolves around identifying the two-minute version of a task I've been avoiding

The first step is to identify the task at hand. The task I've been avoiding might be a bit surprising, but it's writing this week's newsletter. In recent weeks, it has usually been easy to write about my experiences and create an interesting story. However, for some reason, this week has presented a challenge in putting something together. So, let's take a closer look and break it down!

So how could I do this in two minutes?

The topic for the week isn't something that naturally comes to mind. Usually, I sit down, set a timer, and start writing to see what ideas emerge. Speaking of that, I just remembered a memory from when I was in grade school during our class attendance skits. It was in my performing arts class, and whenever my name was called, I would improvise a story on the spot that kept everyone engaged, wondering what would happen next. Channeling my inner Shakespeare.

Anyways that was very scatterbrained but onto the next element of writing “2319”, the song.

My family and close friends know how much music means to me, and they've seen how much time I spend listening to it. Last year, my Spotify-wrapped showed that I logged over 69,000 minutes of music listening time. That's a lot of music to choose from, which makes picking just one song a challenge.

However, where there's a will, there's a way. To make this decision more systematic, I've decided to base it on the song I've listened to the most by Wednesday each week. We'll start implementing this method for selecting the song of the week starting next week.

Selecting the quote of the week usually isn't too tough for me. Oddly enough, whenever I'm scrolling through TikTok, I tend to find inspirational videos or quotes. I usually take a screenshot so I can easily use it later. To make this process smoother, I should start adding these quotes to the newsletter as soon as I find them.

Lastly, there's the podcast I enjoy. I make sure to listen to at least two episodes every week. Most of my listening happens over the weekends, but occasionally I manage to squeeze in some listening during the week too. To keep track of this in a more organized way, I could add the podcast link to my Notion and return in a day or two to write a summary of it.

As I reflect on the challenge James Clear has set for us this week, I'm reminded of the power of breaking down our tasks into manageable chunks. It's incredible how something as daunting as writing this newsletter, the next line of code, or studying for that next test can become less intimidating when we ask ourselves, "How could I do this in just two minutes?"

Keep Striving,

Zechariah Davis

Song of the week:

• Mirrors - Justin Timberlake

Quote of the week:

• If you don't make time for your wellness, you will be forced to make time for your illness - Tamara Levitt

Podcast I recommend:

#1. Master Your Sleep & Be More Alert When Awake | Huberman Lab Podcast #2

Creator: Andrew Huberman