People crave unique experiences. A defining moment is a short experience that is both memorable and meaningful.
The Power of Moments by Chip Heath and Dan Heath explores why certain brief experiences can jolt us and elevate us and change us—and how we can learn to create such extraordinary moments in our life and work.
The key concepts are as follows:
“Our lives are measured in moments, and defining moments are the ones that endure in our memories.
People tend to remember or recall moments based upon peaks, pits and transitions. Transitions should be marked, peaks/milestones commemorated and pits filled.
- Peaks/Milestones – moments to celebrate (e.g. 1,000th day of school, birthday, 10K steps, etc)
- Pits – voids to fill with a memorable moment (e.g. great customer service)
- Transitions – e.g. rituals, fresh starts, promotion, first day, end of project
There are four components of memorable moments known as EPIC:
- Elevation – a moment that rises above all others in a day or time period
- Pride – a moment that happened while we are at peak performance, where we are recognized or celebrated for our contributions, achievement or courage
- Insight – a moment that changes how we see our environment, where we “trip over the truth” and improve our understanding of ourselves or the world
- Connection – a moment that is part of our cultural fabric where we reflect on the meaning of a situation with others
Moments can be made memorable through two or more of the following:
- Boost sensory appeal – “turning up the volume” so that things look better, taste better, sound better or feel better than they usually do (e.g. music, flowers, clothes)
- Raise the stakes – add element of productive pressure (e.g. competition, game, performance, deadline, public commitment, working on a demanding task in a group), place ourselves in situations that expose us to failure
- Break the script – do things that don’t follow the rules; do the unexpected; do things that are random
