There are a lot of articles out there with lists of things. 20 reasons why something happens, 10 things to stop doing, 8 top strategies for something, 7 habits to start or stop. It seems easy enough; do the things and life will be beautiful. I am not suggesting that these articles aren’t helpful. Some of these lists are best selling books! 

Sometimes 3 is Too Many

My challenge with all of these lists is that my brain just can’t comprehend more than 3 things. In the Covid19 world I find that keeping even 3 things in my head is pushing it. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gone upstairs to get something only to find myself at the top of the staircase wondering why I got off the couch. I have gone to the store to pick up 2 things and had to call home to remind me of one of them. Maybe my mind is so full of other things that I don’t have space for more. After all, who else is keeping the mystery surrounding the disappearance of Carole Baskin’s first husband alive? My brain is full of stuff... and that’s when I’m relaxed. When the stress builds up, the memory gets worse. I’m lucky to remember if I put on pants (yes… I did just check to make sure).

Thing One: Breathe

 For me, any effective list of things can’t have more than 3 things. The first of those things is “breathe”. 

Everything you do in life is going to take oxygen. 

• That breath can be the best thing you do for yourself. 

• It can help calm you, it can slow you down, it can feed your cells, it can give you another second to react, it can center you. 

• That one thing is the most important of the three.

The Next Two Things are up to You

The next two things are whatever you tend to forget when accomplishing a task. These things are up to you. 

• If you’re going into a job interview remember to breathe and then, from the many lists of all the things to do in job interviews, pick two things you are most likely to forget and put them on your list. 

• If you’re serving a volleyball, remember to breathe and then the other two things from your coach that you’ve been working on. 

Just keep it to 3.

When the Pressure is on, Keep it Simple

You have great capacity to learn and retain a great deal of information. When the pressure is on your brain takes over and starts to suspend the function of all its subsystems. When your brain is intently focused on something it will ignore things around you. (take a look at the moonwalking bear video from YouTube)

TFL Viral - Awareness Test (Moonwalking Bear)

When the pressure is on, you’re not going to be able to keep focused on the 20 things or even the 7 things you want to remember. 

Let’s keep it simple. 

Three things, and the first of those is… breathe.

By Mitch Mocilnikar