Summary

An individual documents the transformative effects of meditating for 60 minutes every day over 60 days, as inspired by Naval Ravikant's challenge, detailing improved mental clarity, stress reduction, and enhanced interpersonal relationships.

Abstract

The author of the web content embarked on a 60-day meditation journey, dedicating one hour each day to the practice, as proposed by Naval Ravikant. Initially a casual meditator, the author restructured their daily routine to accommodate the extended sessions. The experience led to profound insights, including heightened problem-solving abilities after the 30-minute mark, a decrease in stress responses, more mindful use of time, and improved sleep quality. The meditation practice also positively influenced the author's personal life, as noted by their partner. Despite the benefits, the author admits to not maintaining the 60-minute routine post-experiment, citing a lapse in prioritization, and uses the article as a commitment device to rekindle the habit.

Opinions

The author believes that longer meditation sessions can lead to better thought management and life clarity.
They hold the view that meditation can significantly reduce stress and improve one's responses to challenging situations.
The author suggests that meditation enhances awareness and mindfulness in daily activities, leading to more intentional living.
They assert that consistent meditation can lead to better sleep and overall well-being.
The author acknowledges the importance of meditation in their life and its positive impact on personal relationships.
They recognize the challenge of maintaining disciplined meditation practices, even when aware of the benefits.
The author sees writing about their experience as a way to hold themselves accountable and encourages a return to more rigorous meditation habits.

What Happens When You Meditate for 60 Minutes Every Day for 60 Days

From small and subtle changes to impactful life-changing results

I recently read The Almanack of Naval Ravikant. In the book, Naval challenges people to meditate every day for 60 minutes for at least 60 days in a row. I was intrigued by this challenge, as I happen to be a casual meditator who meditates anywhere between 20 and 30 minutes, a few times a week.

I have always sensed that a longer meditation session would help my thoughts settle down and let me see the world more clearly. However, I always seemed to have a convenient excuse for not meditating for longer than 30 minutes.

In late October of 2020, I committed to meditating for one continuous hour every day for the rest of the year. The first step to achieve this goal was sorting out my daily schedule. If you want to meditate for one hour, you need to make the time. So I set my alarm clock half an hour earlier every day to give me the extra time to meditate before I left for work.

When I meditate, I do not take myself too seriously. I do not try to focus on one mantra or my breath all the time. I don't stress if my mind is wandering all over the place. In fact, I pay attention to where my mind is wandering, as that is handy information. Wherever your mind wanders is an excellent indication of what things are tugging at you and causing you stress. What message is the universe trying to send me?

As I conducted my 60-day experiment, I noticed that I was able to sit fairly still and mainly focus on my breathing on most days. On other days my mind was one big mud storm for 60 minutes. All sorts of tension, anxiety, and thoughts kept on twirling about. By the end of my experiment, I noticed several significant changes and insights in my well-being.

The best aha moments happen after the first half-hour

Ever been meditating when you get one of those lightbulb moments? That moment when you think, why did I not think of that earlier? Everything is so clear now!

Well, let me tell you, most of those moments happen long after the 30-minute mark. Somewhere around minute 43, I would get an idea on how to fix a problem that had been chewing away at me for over a month. Maybe an annoying customer who had been asking for something that I was struggling to provide. All of a sudden, I would get the solution to the problem.

Nowadays, whenever I have big worries pulling at me, I deliberately extend my meditation session to see things clearer.

My responses to everything slowed down

I significantly lowered my stress responses. If someone posted a snarky remark on my Youtube channel, I would calmly delete the comment and ban the user. No need to engage in a fighting match.

If a potential customer asked for something unreasonable, I would politely decline—no reason to explain why.

My driving was slower, and I became aware of my surroundings. If a car struggled to pull out of a driveway, I would slow down and let him through.

Most importantly, I became aware of my time. When you spend one hour a day meditating, that is about 4% of your day. Suddenly, you become much more mindful of what happens in the remaining 96% of your day. Mindlessly scrolling on Instagram or binge-watching on Youtube was no longer that interesting.

My Twitter feed had been jam-packed with toxicity and negativity, as these happened to be the months during the US election and post-election drama. No need to get wound up. I just calmly unfollowed or muted one annoying person after the other. By the end of the experiment, my Twitter feed had become a much friendlier and inspiring place.

Better and calmer sleep

By the end of the two months experiment, the quality of my sleep had skyrocketed. I was not necessarily sleeping longer than before, but I definitely felt much more rested. I no longer woke up feeling groggy. I would open my eyes and feel ready to go.

I no longer woke up at 4.30 am worried about work, about customers not paying on time, about my latest facebook ads not getting the results that I was expecting.

Others noticed a change in me

The biggest validation, however, came from my girlfriend. She noticed that I had become far more present and sensitive in our relationship. I was more thoughtful of cleaning up my mess, I was more affectionate toward her, and paid more attention to her.

So what happened next?

After the 2 month experiment, and although I had seen significant improvements in my life, I got complacent in my work and overall well-being. I still meditate nearly every day, but it's usually 20–30 minutes. On weekends, I might throw in a 60-minute session to give myself a good brain cleanse.

I could claim that I am too busy to meditate for any longer than 20 minutes. But that would be a lame excuse. I am simply not prioritizing meditation like I used to. I know that it works wonders, and I know that several good things will continue coming out of long meditations.

It’s an important reminder that we often let good habits fall by the wayside even when we know the benefits of them.

One of the reasons I wrote this article is to document this experiment and remind myself of the importance of meditating. Maybe by putting myself out there, I can go back to my 60 minutes a day routine and reap the benefits once again.