The Power of 1440: Making the Most of Every Minute in a DaySample

Step One

It’s normal to get up, rush to work, labor all day, come home tired, eat, watch TV, go to bed, and repeat. We may make some resolutions and devise a few dreams, but there just isn’t time to do anything about them. Someday, we tell ourselves wistfully, we’ll take a first step.

Another 1440 minutes drift by and we’re another 1440 minutes closer to the end of our lives.

Why settle for a humdrum drift of time when we can consciously, intentionally invest our 1440 minutes to better our lives and the world we live in? Yes, of course we need to work. And sleep. And eat. And relax. And make resolutions and dream dreams.

But here’s the difference, a life-changing difference.

• What if today we focused 100 percent of our energy—even for just a portion of our 1440 minutes—on finally taking a solid step toward that big ambition that’s been calling us?

• What if we invested just 10 minutes a day in giving back, paying it forward, or blessing someone who just may need an act of kindness or a word of encouragement?

• What if we gave 30 of our 1440 minutes to play with our children or help a neighbor? Or 60 minutes to volunteer at our church or in the community?

It seems like a small investment, but it could just be the beginning of something extraordinary.

All of these what-ifs don’t have to be relegated to the category of “maybe someday,” “when I feel inspired,” “I’d like to but.” Your dream can become reality. The time is now to begin to make that happen.

What we’re talking about here is the importance of not only choosing and clarifying a dream but of taking actual steps to make the dream become reality.

We won’t complete a thousand miles or even one mile without intentionally taking that first decisive, pivotal step. Take the first step and the second becomes a little easier to envision and execute. Whatever your dream or resolution, its beginning can be small enough and manageable enough to fit into a single day. Whether it’s 10 minutes, 20 minutes, or 30 minutes, step one will definitely fit into your 1440 minutes.

Choose, prioritize, decide, resolve, and take that first step. Think only of that first step, not of the miles ahead. Don’t even think of the next step until today’s single step is completed.

What are you going to do and do well today?

I know several people who lost their excess weight and got into fighting trim by walking and lifting weights just fifteen to thirty minutes a day. A few simply skipped the elevator at work and took the stairs. They reported much-improved blood pressure, energy, outlook, and sleep. But they each had to step out for that first brief walk and kneel over to hoist that first weight. They each had to take that first single step!

It takes courage. It takes tenacity. It takes commitment. But the power of the first step is available to all who start and who succeed.

What is your resolution? Your dream? Your goal? Whatever your God-inspired conviction or ambition, he has given you the time. Step one takes just a few minutes, so it definitely fits into your 1440-minute allotment for the day.

Throughout the day—this day—you can move toward your dream and accomplish it.

Choose wisely. Make your dream your priority and go for it. Your journey begins with a single step.

But that single step can change your life. 

Respond

What is a resolution, goal, or dream you would like to accomplish?

What has been stopping you from taking the first step toward accomplishing your dream? What can you do to remove that obstacle?

Write down the first step you will take toward your goal. How many of your 1440 minutes will you commit to taking that first step today? Whatever you dream of doing, the beginning will fit into today.