Here’s the real story behind the pouches...and it all comes down to 20 seconds.
I used to give a lesson to my middle school students about the 20 second rule (concept from positive psychology expert Shawn Achor). Basically the rule is if
you want to start a new habit you need to DECREASE the energy needed to do the action by 20 seconds. The same is true for stopping a bad habit-you need to
INCREASE the energy needed to do the action by 20 seconds.
Example: I want to work out in the morning. By laying out workout clothes the night before or even better, just wear them to bed, you are decreasing the time it takes to be “ready” to work out, now it takes less willpower to do the action. Because we all know willpower is horribly unreliable.
Another Example: I want to use my phone less-by keeping your phone at a charging station in a different room during a “no-phone” time, you are making it 20 seconds harder to get on it than it was if you kept it in your pocket, thus making it easier to improve the habit.
Ok, ok, what does this have to do with the pouch? Well, I wanted to do more prayer and start my day off by reviewing my planner. I found that, yes, I’m so lazy that if I didn’t have my tiny devotional or rosary within 20 seconds reach then I was just not going to pray (weak human willpower, yes, that would be me). The pouch solved this problem (along with always having a pen when I needed it) because the elastic band made it stay around my planner which I have also strategically placed on the coffee table where I sit to have my morning coffee EVERY DAY. And now within 20 seconds I have everything within reach to do the darn daily habit of starting my day in prayer and reviewing my day.
20 seconds. It very well could be all it takes for you to form the morning prayer routine you've been hoping for.
you want to start a new habit you need to DECREASE the energy needed to do the action by 20 seconds. The same is true for stopping a bad habit-you need to
INCREASE the energy needed to do the action by 20 seconds.
Example: I want to work out in the morning. By laying out workout clothes the night before or even better, just wear them to bed, you are decreasing the time it takes to be “ready” to work out, now it takes less willpower to do the action. Because we all know willpower is horribly unreliable.
Another Example: I want to use my phone less-by keeping your phone at a charging station in a different room during a “no-phone” time, you are making it 20 seconds harder to get on it than it was if you kept it in your pocket, thus making it easier to improve the habit.
Ok, ok, what does this have to do with the pouch? Well, I wanted to do more prayer and start my day off by reviewing my planner. I found that, yes, I’m so lazy that if I didn’t have my tiny devotional or rosary within 20 seconds reach then I was just not going to pray (weak human willpower, yes, that would be me). The pouch solved this problem (along with always having a pen when I needed it) because the elastic band made it stay around my planner which I have also strategically placed on the coffee table where I sit to have my morning coffee EVERY DAY. And now within 20 seconds I have everything within reach to do the darn daily habit of starting my day in prayer and reviewing my day.
20 seconds. It very well could be all it takes for you to form the morning prayer routine you've been hoping for.
I hope these give you a beautiful and practical solution to keeping your things organized so it's that much easier to fully enter in to your day without scrambling for the pen.