Ep. 150 - The 150 Episode: The Power of 2 Minutes, Better Thinking, Saying Yes, and a Personal Menu

We've hit 150 episodes, and today, we're celebrating by taking a look back at some of the most popular and impactful topics we’ve covered. From the power of just 2 minutes and how small actions can lead to big momentum, to the power of thinking and how shifting our mindset can change everything, we’re revisiting the insights that have resonated.

We’ll also dive into the importance of saying yes to the right things (and no to the rest) and how knowing your personal menu—your unique set of values, priorities, and options—helps you make the best choices for yourself.

Thank you for being part of this journey. 💛 Tune in and let’s keep growing! 

Transcript

Hello good people – welcome to episode 150! 

When I launched this podcast in 2022, I spent wayyyy too much time overthinking it plus then learning the technology, software, tips, tools, transcripts, metrics, and so on. At that point, my goal was to do 62 episodes. 

Why 62? Because I had learned about this invisible threshold at 62 miles above sea level, known as the Kármán line. This marks the unofficial transition between sky to space. I figured I could at least make 62 efforts to get past the invisible line of my own comfort zone. 

And 62 episodes seemed like a good stretch to give oxygen to the thoughts inside my head and enough room for the courage to learn out loud with all of you. 

It’s often said that we teach what we most need to learn, and this podcast has offered weekly mile markers along that long and winding road of forging my own map. 

The episodes are typically quick capsules of the conversations and conundrums I experience or that I hear from so many of you and they serve as a cognitive white board where I often share research (both formal and informal research) as we all try to make sense of the world as we continue to make our way through it. 

Today’s episode offers a bit of the greatest hits – topics and themes that have resonated most here (thanks to the feedback from all of you) and out there in the ever evolving day-to-day…  

I’ll be the first to claim limited expertise in many of the subjects that get explored here on these shows. I have learned, however, that there isn’t a simple solution for how to do fewer things better. There is value, however, in exploring what resonates personally…and equally important, what we resist. 

In that spirit, highlight #1 is the power of 2 minutes. 

Now there are many iterations of this concept called the 2 minute rule, and my frame of reference is taken from the 2001 book by David Allen called Getting Things Done. In it, he defines the 2-minute rule like this:
If the task at hand will take less than two minutes, just do it now. 

It’s that simple. 

And for all you list-makers and task organizers (I love me a post-it note), done is better than documented. Plus, it’s the doing that turns on the engine to mental momentum in our brain. 

We often overestimate how long something is going to take. Even reading that one email can feel like, “Oh, I just don't have the energy for it right now.” But taking a look will probably take less than two minutes. From there, you can decide what, if anything, you have the ability and energy to do next. 

Using that two minute rule as a time-bound productivity boost can really help our brain release a little of the pursuit of perfectionism. 

That alone might make you complete something. But more importantly, it helps you start something. 

You don’t need more data and discussion on whether this may or may not work. The best way to figure it out is simply to put it into practice. 

Highlight #2 is the power of your thinking.  

Let’s spend a moment in a brain book club, and we’ll visit the 2024 book by Joseph Nguyen called Don’t Believe Everything You Think. This is more than just a catchy title; it’s a principle that is backed by brain science, cognitive psychology, and some good old-fashioned, time-tested wisdom. 

Our thoughts are a soundtrack in our mind, and they are either adding fuel or friction to our actions. You get what you repeat, so it’s really important to think about what you think about.

The brain is a prediction machine. It’s constantly scanning for patterns, pulling from past experiences, and generating expectations. This ability helped our ancestors survive—during that time, recognizing a rustle in the bushes that might be a potential predator was far more useful than waiting for actual results.

But in our modern world, this same mechanism leads to what is known as cognitive distortions—mental shortcuts that create unnecessary stress, anxiety, and self-doubt.

In psychology, these distortions are well-documented. When we believe everything that pops into our head, we’re letting these distortions dictate our reality and our response.

But here’s the thing: Just because we think something doesn’t make it true. And once we recognize this, we can shift from autopilot to being in control of which way our brain is steering. 

This is where neuroplasticity comes in—the brain’s ability to rewire itself, think about it like an important software update. Every time we challenge one of those limiting beliefs, we weaken that neural pathway. Over time, newer, healthier thoughts (or at least neutral thoughts) can become the default.

So, when you put that into practice, think about when a negative thought comes into place and ask yourself: Is this a fact, or is this my brain telling a story?

Your job isn’t to believe everything you think—it’s to select the thought that moves you best and go forward.

Highlight #3 is the power of yes. 

As a professional speaker, I am often in front of large audiences. Whether the group is paying to attend the event or are joining as part of their company or university program, they are investing time and sometimes a good amount of money to take part in the conversation at hand. It was the idea of this investment that gave me an idea for a social experiment.

“Contact me after this,” I’ll often say to the group. “And I’ll send you a book of your choice.”

Now let’s pretend I was offering cash. No strings attached, just handing over a financial sum. I’d likely have a long line of takers. 

An offer of knowledge is a similar economic exchange. Only in this case, very few people will step forward to receive the investment. Why? Because they don’t actually step forward to claim it. 

It’s the accepting of the offer that was part of my hypothesis. What actually stops people from taking something that’s being given freely? Maybe it’s not of value to them but I suspect it goes deeper than that for others. Have you ever been somewhere that something free was being handed out - like those food samples or swag of some kind? People will line up to get something for free and sometimes go back again for more!

But when a similar effort and offer is being made like in this case of a learning opportunity, I often hear people say that they wish they could but…. 

We’re more comfortable leaving opportunities behind rather than to reach just beyond our comfort zone to receive them. 

In finance, there’s a quote that says: In investing, what is comfortable is rarely profitable. 

The same is true of our personal goals. In order to receive the benefits we desire, we need to be willing to identify what we truly want and then receive it.

Asking is uncomfortable. Receiving can be uncomfortable, too. Yet we’re not going to get any of the goodies if we don’t actually order from the menu. 

Speaking of menus, highlight #4 is the power of a personal menu. 

Imagine you are out walking on a beautiful day, and you realize you are hungry. You see a lovely bistro and take a seat at a table. 

When a server arrives, you ask for a menu. 

“Oh, there are no menus here,” they say. “We will bring you something.”

“I’ve never been here before,” you say. “I don’t even know what you offer.”

“That’s okay,” is the response. “We will decide what to give you.”

Ummmm, that’s a little unusual. And, yet, it’s also a very common way in which we are given things in our daily life – whether that is a gift, a compliment, or an opportunity, a lot of times it is bestowed upon us. And sometimes that is a delightful, unexpected experience. And other times, you are kind of secretly hoping there is a gift receipt.

Now imagine the same situation but this time the friendly server brings you a very large menu. It has pages and pages of options with all different types of cuisine, portion sizes, and cost. As you sit there flipping through it, you are starting to feel overwhelmed by all the choices. The more you’re thinking about it, the less certain you are of what you want in that moment. 

The busy bistro is buzzing around you with lots of people, and you start to feel pressure to make a decision, but which thing? The earlier enjoyment of the experience starts to fade and even if you make a choice, you might start second guessing if it was even what you wanted. 

This can happen to us as recipients, too, when very well-intended people ask us what we would like. The process of picking an option in a time frame can sometimes cause our brain to go blank. 

But what if we return to the bistro and this time there is a chalkboard outside. It showcases a short list of the store’s specialties. High quality options targeted just to your tastes. 

Ah, here we go! First we must curate our own short list of desires before we’re able to recognize them in the options and offers in the world around us.  

Start with space to consider what you would even write on that chalkboard. It’s a delicious exercise in creating a curated collection of things that delight…you. 

And that’s the beauty of gifts. The right ones don’t take a lot or cost a lot to feel right for you. And while amazing and lovely gifts can certainly come from things that we don’t think about or put on a list, having an idea of our wants becomes a gift we provide to ourselves – and a gift that we can give to others. 

So give some thought to what it is that you do want and what you definitely don’t want. 

So there we are – a few things taken from the last 50 episodes, each representing the power of what can happen in two minutes, what can happen when you think better thoughts, what can happen when you say yes to receiving, and what can happen when you make your own menu. 

I’m so eager to see the thoughts and topics in the next 50 episodes and look forward to having you join in and shape the conversations as we go. 

Here’s to more good things ahead and a very happy menu.