The +1 Mindset

Imagine there’s a notebook with just a number in it. The score represents every good thing you do, whether it’s talking to someone, reading a book, or journaling.

And every time you perform those activities, the score increments by one.

This is what I like to call The +1 Mindset.

Everything you do has a positive effect on your life. In the end, your success is just a list of +1’s added together.

This mindset has changed my perspective on doing things, no matter how small. If I am taking an Uber to the local gym and it’s a five-minute ride, my natural response would be, “Oh, let’s see what’s happening on Twitter.”

It’s just so easy to underestimate the power of a minute. Instead of using social media, I can download an e-book and start reading it. That five-minute ride allows me to read 1-2 pages. Isn’t that a win?

Why does it even matter?

The beauty of the +1 mindset is that it doesn’t punish you for having off days. We all have times when we feel unmotivated, tired, or just don’t want to do anything.

But even on those days, as long as you do something small, you’re still adding to your progress. Maybe you won’t get everything done, but you won’t lose everything either. You just need to keep moving, one step at a time.

I could waste my entire day and say, “Man! I wasted all that time. I’ll start again tomorrow.” Or, I could get up, do the work for just 15 minutes, and delay my sleep a little. That way, I build momentum for the next day.

Just focus on getting that +1. Over time, all those +1s will add up to something amazing.

This newsletter is a practical example of the +1 mindset. I was procrastinating on writing an article, so I picked a smaller topic, gave myself 20 minutes, and ended up writing something I thought would take at least an hour.

That’s it for today. I want you to do the work even when you think you don’t have enough time.

Assalam o Alaikum,
— Ali Bin Naseer