The thirty second revolution

Gene Mage

“Your gums look perfect”, remarked my dentist the other day. That might not sound like much to you, but for me it was a major accomplishment. After decades of gum problems my situation improved dramatically in just thirty seconds.

What made such an amazing difference? A new drug, surgery, or radical dental procedure? No, it was something much more mundane. I began flossing for thirty seconds per day.

After a root canal three years ago I began flossing religiously. That’s a pretty remarkable commitment considering I spend the first thirty plus years of my life flossing intermittently, if at all. What could have possibly motivated me to make such a dramatic change?

Pain was a great motivator. After six months of root canal and restorative therapy I was motivated like never before to avoid a repeat episode. A lifetime of teaching, exhorting, and education could not change my behavior; experiencing the natural, painful consequences of my choices changed my behavior in an instant. If only I could learn to change my behavior before experiencing the pain.

What a powerful life lesson learned amidst the Novocain, drills and amalgams. A seemingly insignificant thirty seconds per day could dramatically change my life for the better. And if something as simple as a few cents of dental floss and half a minute could make such a big difference, I began to ponder what other things I could be doing each day that might exert an equally powerful cumulative influence over a year, two, or three. I thought about it and came up with my own “daily flossing” list to guide me.

What about you? Are you doing your daily flossing? Can you commit to making a few little daily choices that could transform your life? Not sure where to start? Here are some suggestions:

1. Begin and end each day with God. When I know that the most powerful force in the universe loves me and is on my side it puts even the most vexing problems into proper perspective. Before your foot hits the floor or your mouth utters its first word, focus your mind on something greater than yourself.

2. Choose positive words. If someone were to follow you around with a tape recorder all day, what would the tape capture? Would your words be uplifting, encouraging, positive, and thoughtful? Or, as is the case with many of us, would that cassette be filled with complaining, gossip, negativity, and anger? If our words are raw sewage, what does that say about our inner self? Choose positive words and prepare to be amazed at how differently you feel, and how much better life becomes.

3. Encourage someone else. It is really hard to be depressed when you are focusing on encouraging another person. Talk about a win-win situation! Why not set off a positive chain reaction by making the choice to encourage the first person you see each day?

4. Spend time doing those things that really pay off. You know that there are certain key activities that generate most if not all of the results for you. Maybe it’s communicating clearly with others, following up with customers, or listening carefully to family, friends, and colleagues. What would happen if those high-payoff activities became daily events?

5. Choose healthy ways to meet your needs. Show me someone with no pain in their life and I’ll show you someone under general anesthesia. Everyone has pain. The question is whether you will cope with your pain in life-affirming, rather than life-destructive ways.

You can find solace in a bottle or solace in a friend. You can find comfort over-eating or enjoying something healthy. You can flop on the couch or take a relaxing walk. You can waste time in the virtual reality of the internet, or savor a real conversation with a friend or loved one. You can boost your ego with status symbols, or gain real significance by serving your community.

Here’s to a year of life-affirming choices.

Syndicated columnist Gene C. Mage is author of the book Managing for High Performance. Visit www.makingitwork.com for the complete column archive.