You don’t live life in years, months, or even days.
You live it in moments – about 20,000 of them, every single day.
According to Nobel Prize-winning scientist, Daniel Kahneman, humans experience about 20,000 moments in a waking day – each one lasting roughly 3 seconds.
But what is a “moment,” exactly?
Interestingly, the word moment comes from medieval times, when a momentum was a unit of time… lasting 90 seconds.
Somewhere along the way, our definition shifted – and yet, the meaning stayed the same: A moment is simply a sliver of time. Short. Fleeting. Precious.
The question is: what are we doing with the ones we get? Are we waiting for the “big moments”? Or are we savoring the 20,000 small ones that actually make up our lives?
Here’s the thing: we don’t have to wait for the perfect moment to begin. Starting doesn’t mean having it all figured out. It means taking one small step forward. Because once you begin… the rest unfolds.
Moments stack. One after another. And before you know it, you’re in motion.
As Dr. David Drake, Founder of Narrative Coaching, beautifully says, “Our curriculum is this moment.”
Not tomorrow. Not someday. Not when it’s perfect. But this moment – raw, real, alive.
Today, I’m choosing to notice the small ones – the burst of green in my vegetable garden, a beautiful gesture from a friend, the view from my bedroom, the energy and joy after a morning workout. Because stacked together, these little moments create the life I want.
Over to you… Which of your 20,000 moments today has brought you the most joy?
I am a courage catalyst, executive coach, facilitator, speaker and founder of Interact Consulting.