– Do you hate lines, commutes, and being on hold?
– Are you constantly waiting for your partner to get ready?
– Do you struggle to find the time for healthy habits?

Well, join the club. We meet on Wednesday nights, and we’re all always on time. But seriously, if you have a progress-oriented personality, waiting is really tough. However, it’s important to note what we are really annoyed about isn’t the actual waiting; it’s the being out of control.

Waiting can actually be a very good thing. We used to wait all day long, just to catch a meal. That’s some zen-level stuff. As Sun Tzu said in “The Art of War”, a book commonly referenced by newbie business-people trying to sound cool:

“The art of war teaches us to rely not on the likelihood of the enemy’s not coming, but on our own readiness to receive him; not on the chance of his not attacking, but rather on the fact that we have made our position unassailable.”

Waiting in our currently overwhelmed daily lives is a blessing. Waiting gives you time to prepare, practice, and progress. We’re just waiting the wrong way. So, what if we could put down the “tap a button, get a peanut” micro-transaction phone games and pick up a real-life health kit? We can beat boredom together!

BUILDING A KIT

Your health kit will be customized to the high quality habits you’re currently working on anyway. It’s going to be in a cool, small pouch. And inside, everything you need to transform boring old waiting into peaceful practicing.

Let’s go through the health kit we made for ourselves, so you can understand what items in your own life would make a great addition. Then, use your health-kit anywhere you want, like waiting for your kids at the park, waiting in line for a new phone, or waiting on your partner to get out the door. Turn these times into the best moments for your mind, body, life, and soul.

THE KIT CONTAINER

Your kit should be held in something moderately small, extremely portable, and probably durable. There are so many containers you probably have lying around your house, like:

– Travel toiletries bags
– Lunch boxes
– Purses
– Small backpacks

SOME THINGS TO READ YOU CAN LEARN FROM

Even if you’re not a reader, many of us have a list of books we came across that sounded pretty cool. Grab a beat-up used version on Amazon for like three dollars. If you’re doing a lot of waiting, what better time to read a little bit? Stay away from super-complex ideas, because you might be somewhere noisy and with frequent interruptions.

SOME THINGS TO READ YOU CAN ENJOY

Sometimes, you’re not in the mood to learn. Losing yourself in an excellent story for a few minutes is a great reset. We’re reading about pirates. Did you know Henry Avery, the most wanted pirate in the world, sold his ship off to an enemy English governor, unloaded 20 years of loot, partied in the port’s taverns, and then disappeared forever? It’s some Oceans Eleven level stuff.

SOME THINGS TO PRACTICE A SKILL OR A CRAFT

Working with your hands increases the mind-body connection. Perhaps you’ve always wanted to draw, learn a language, write a song, crocheting, or even woodworking. You’ll make much faster progress practicing for 10-15 minutes a day than once in a blue moon for a few hours.

SOME THINGS TO KEEP YOUR BODY HEALTHY

There are four segments of the body that can be improved at any time: flexibility, speed, power, and endurance. We have about a dozen body-weight only workouts we’ve enjoyed and collected over the years, as well as a lacrosse ball to roll out muscle knots. Can you stretch, do pushups, jog the building, or just work on your breathing while you wait?

SOME THINGS TO CENTER AND REFILL YOUR SOUL

“Keep your spirits up” is now just a pat in the back in our culture, but it used to mean actually keeping your “spirits” up! We all have spirit, whether you believe that’s something magical or just the willpower to keep on keepin’ on. Put some power objects in your kit: your new child’s shoe, a symbol from your religion, a rock you grabbed from a distant land, or one of your wood carvings you just put your soul into. Hold this object with a few minutes of deep breathing and feel your batteries recharge.

Great work! Bring your kit with you wherever you go, or keep it in your backpack, car, or workspace. We’re excited to hear what things CNQR’rs from all over the world and with many different passions put inside their kits.