What can I accomplish in 30 minutes? Run 3-4 miles. Read 20 pages of a novel. Find some inner peace. Write a blog post.

Finding that out is my goal this year. I’m giving myself 30 minutes* every day to do one of those four activities: exercise, reading, meditating, and writing. In the current state of mult-screen multi-tasking, my attention span has reached record lows. Forcing myself to focus on a single non-work related activity for thirty minutes every day will hopefully slow down my ever-bouncing brain.

It’s been nearly three months, and I’ve been able to give myself 30 minutes almost every day. Looking at my blog posts published this year, it’s clear that I have not spent many days writing. I can also say that I have not found any zen in 2014.

What have I spent all of these 30-minute sessions doing? Mostly reading. I’m nearing the end of my fourth book this year and have a few more lined up. I also run from time to time, but with the warmer weather and my Grand Canyon hike approaching, I expect more time devoted to fitness.

Giving myself annual quantifiable goals has really helped me in my constant quest for self-betterment.

Perhaps next year I will up it to 60 minutes.

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*The 30 minutes has to be on my own time, away from work and commuting.