EXERCISE 2.1

Self-Actualization

Leverage Your Time with a 2% Solution

Purpose

To develop a personally focused project that will cause participants to stop and pay attention to themselves in a way that will be richly rewarding.

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70 to 90 minutes

Participants focus on how self-actualized they feel now and how self-actualized they would like to feel. They focus on what they need to give themselves to feel more fulfilled and develop a way to make that investment by exploring their 2% Solution.

Outcomes

Audience

Facilitator Competencies image

Moderate

Materials

Time Matrix

Activity Estimated Time
Answer Questions 1 through 3 on handout and explore Question 3 in pairs or with coach 15 minutes
Discuss 2% Solution and individual writing 35 minutes
Report and commit 20 to 40 minutes (depends on size of the group)
Total Time 70 to 90 minutes

Instructions

1. Distribute the handouts and ask everyone to write answers to items 1 through 3 on the Leverage Your Time handout.

2. Explore Question 3 in pairs or with the coach.

3. Discuss the description provided in the Your 2% Solution Handout and then ask each person to take reflective time to explore creating his or her own 2% Solution. Give participants a full 30 minutes, as this should not be rushed.

4. Ask each person to make a few comments about what he or she is considering as a 2% project (or discuss with you if this is an individual coaching session). Invite each person to make a commitment to implement his or her project and to state some specifics about how and when he or she will carry out his or her intentions.

Stretch Goal (Optional)

Revisit in a few weeks and ask everyone to report on his or her progress and challenges with the project.

LEVERAGE YOUR TIME WITH A 2% SOLUTION HANDOUT image

1. On a scale of 1 to 10 (10 is highest), how meaningful do I seek to make my life? Write your numerical answer and then write about why you gave yourself that number.

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2. Imagine it’s six months from now and you’re working with this handout again. What number do you want to give yourself then?

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3. Explore how you are defining a meaningful life for yourself. How much of your definition has to do with taking care of others? How much is nurturing yourself? How much is meeting external goals that satisfy others? How much is because it feels wonderful to you because it is truly soul nurturing? Write a few notes and then talk with someone in your group or with your coach.

YOUR 2% SOLUTION HANDOUT image

Your 2% Solution is a strategy for building your personal success by giving yourself focused time to do what your heart or soul is deeply calling for you to do. It’s called 2% because it only takes 2 percent of your time, thirty minutes a day; it’s powerful because your time is well spent—on you—and because it includes time to notice how you feel and why while you’re engaged with your 2% Solution. The book, Life’s 2% Solution (Hughes, 2006) provides detailed guidance on the process. The structure is straightforward; the application is where the transformative potential lies. Research shows that taking this small but focused time for oneself contributes strongly to being successful throughout one’s life. Without doubt, if you pay attention to your life and refill your own well, you will have more capacity to give to others. This is a major contributor to experiencing your life as being actualized.

To implement your own 2% Solution, follow these steps:

1. Take time to truly reflect and consider your life now. Ask what you would really love to do but you’re waiting until you have more time so you can do it really well. It could be pottery, writing poetry, meditation, playing an instrument, or any number of other things. The point is that it needs to be something you really want to do for you. That means no matter how much you’d like more time to read to your children, that is not your 2% Solution. This is for you.

2. During this exercise you will begin your exploration process. You may find you need more time, so list possibilities for now and consider one as a potential while being willing to further consider your choice later.

3. Answer the following:

  • My potential 2% project might be ______________.

List the choices and write a few ideas about what the project means to you. For example: I’ll engage in a quiet meditative walk every day for 20 minutes and spend 10 minutes journaling my thoughts and reflections that come up as I become more in touch with myself. Unless you are really certain about the right project for you, consider two or three possibilities.

  • Choose one of your possibilities and write a few notes about how and when you will conduct your process. You may need to adjust the schedule but having a structured intention of when you’ll take this time for yourself helps you give yourself this time.
  • Write about your hopes and worries about giving yourself this time.

REFERENCE

Hughes, M. (2006). Life’s 2% solution. Boston: Nicholas Brealey.