The holidays are over. School and work are in full swing again. And it is already mid-January.
Therefore, it is time to be clear about all of our great ideas for 2020 and what really matters in the coming days, weeks and months.
Let’s make a pact to end January mentally strong!
How?
First, let’s remember that the best way to accomplish something worthwhile in life is to develop little daily rituals that you do every day (or at least every day you are physically capable of) ) practice. A little daily ritual is an exercise that you consider special, an activity that you shouldn’t take lightly that prioritizes and sets you apart from the rest of your routine. It is something that you willingly indulge in by not allowing yourself to reject the parts of it that you do not like, but rather to have the full experience every day for a short time. And of course the little advances you make every day add up to something big and ultimately change the course of your life.
A good example could be a five-minute daily writing ritual, where you choose to write every morning after breakfast, turn off your phone and other distractions, and just write quietly. You have a clear intention, then set a timer and indulge in writing without being able to switch to other tasks until the timer expires. When it starts, thankfully bow your head for a good job, smile and go about your day. (This is just an example of how I do it. You don’t have to do it exactly that way.)
With a little daily ritual like this, you have a clear structure and a reliable sequence … and yet you will still feel like rebel. You will sometimes find that your willpower swirls as you struggle with your habitual tendency to reach for the next distraction. This beating is not a bad thing, because this is where the strongest growth process takes place – in the consistent practice of your little daily ritual, despite your inner rebellion. In the discomfort of staying in it in the long run, you become stronger and more self-disciplined every day.
Truly, a little daily ritual can be incredibly transformative in a relatively short amount of time.
And today I ask you to jump on the train with me and start such a ritual in your life.
In fact, the particular challenge is to implement some of the issues just discussed.
A five-minute journaling ritual for your mental strength
As I mentioned in this blog, journaling is an invaluable tool for inner strength and real success.
Oprah keeps a diary. Lady Gaga keeps a diary. Eminem keeps a diary.
Successful people around the world – those who consistently experience positive growth in their lives – reflect daily and learn from their life experiences. And they often use some kind of diary to accomplish this. I knew the value of journaling longest – I heard other people’s success stories – and yet I never took any action. Why? Because I thought I had no time for it. I was too busy. “
Needless to say, I learned it the hard way, but YOU don’t have to.
If you want to go anywhere this year you need a card and your diary is this card. Here you can record important thoughts. Here you can find out where you have been and where you want to go. And it is one of the least used yet incredibly effective personal development tools available to the masses.
I therefore ask YOU to wake up tomorrow morning and start journaling consistently until the end of the month. Below are 20 five-minute journal announcements (which are also excerpts from our bestselling New York Times) that I have personally used in the past to put myself into growth-driven self-reflection. These prompts make you aware of your beliefs and assumptions. And they help you think through big and small situations and make better decisions in the future.
Challenge yourself to read and write at a command prompt every morning for five minutes over the next few weeks. See how it changes your mindset as you prepare for everything the rest of 2020 has in store for you …
Prompt # 1
You are not the same person as you were a year, month or week ago. You always grow Experiences don’t stop there. So life is. And exactly the experiences that seem so difficult to walk through, you will look back with gratitude for how far you have come.
What is the most difficult thing you currently want to achieve or manage? What is something small and necessary about this fight?
Prompt # 2
Train your mind to see the beauty hidden in everything. Your positive attitude – your graceful acceptance of life – is a choice. Happiness in your heart depends on the quality of your mental perspective.
What could you be incredibly grateful for right now if you wanted to be grateful?
Prompt # 3
As human beings, we constantly grow out of what we couldn’t live without and fall in love with what we didn’t even want. Life literally leads us on journeys that we would never continue if it were up to us. Have no fear. Have trust. Find the lessons. Trust the trip.
What is something you moved that once meant the world to you? And what do you love today that you never knew you needed in your life?
Prompt # 4
If you don’t allow yourself to go past what happened, what was said, what was felt, you will look at your present and future through the same dirty lens and nothing will be able to focus your foggy judgment. Realize that. What you do now is more important than what happened yesterday.
What is an unchangeable reality that you still cling to and that you oppose? What can you do now to put yourself in the acceptance of this reality?
Prompt # 5
Happiness means letting go of what you think your life should be like now, and sincerely appreciating it for everything it is. So, RELAX. You are enough. You have enough. You do enough. Take a deep breath … let go and live right now. Then let your renewed presence fuel your next step.
Who would you be and what else would you see about your current life situation if you removed the thought that worried you?
Prompt No. 6
If a flower does not bloom properly, determine the environment in which it grows, not the flower itself. The same applies to YOU. You cannot heal exactly in the area in which you fell ill. Recognize this, respect it and do your best to surround yourself with people and situations that make you do your best. Less drama, less chaos. Only higher vibrations and intentions, inside and outside.
How has your daily environment affected you lately?
Prompt # 7
In every city on earth there are hundreds of people who live their whole lives with the default settings and never realize that they can adapt everything. Don’t be one of them. Don’t settle for the default settings in life.
What is a small example of how you have “adjusted” your life for the better?
Prompt # 8
Much of your life is the result of your decisions. If you don’t like part of your life, it’s time to make changes and make new decisions. And it’s okay to be reserved. You don’t have to publish everything on social media. Go quietly and let your actions speak for themselves.
What did your recent actions say about your priorities? What quiet progress do you want to make in your life by the end of the month?
Prompt # 9
If it entertains you now, but one day hurts you, it’s a distraction. Don’t settle down Don’t trade what you want the most for what’s easiest right now. Study your routines and habits. Find out where your energy is going and remove distractions. It’s time to focus on what’s important.
What is a distraction that has been getting the most out of you lately? Why?
Prompt # 10
You will become a true master of your life if you learn to master your focus – wherever your attention goes. Appreciate what you put your energy into. Rise above the pettiness and try to get dressed. Concentrate on what matters. Wherever attention goes, energy flows. Where energy flows, things grow.
What is most important to you at the moment?
Prompt # 11
Stand up. Make that call. Go on that date. Apply for this job. Start this sideline. Don’t be afraid of rejection, struggle or failure. It’s no shame to do your best. Live, learn and grow through every risk you take for inner growth and fulfillment.
What small risk do you think will be worthwhile in the coming months? What is the first step?
Prompt # 12
Nothing big happens overnight. Real progress takes time. Don’t give up because you can’t see the results of your work yet. It can take months to focus and be committed to getting results that you can actually see. You have to believe, even if the immediate results are invisible to the eye.
What have you accomplished in the past that once seemed impossible?
Prompt # 13
Life doesn’t want to hurt you, it wants you to grow and develop. Repeated battles are not punishment, but opportunities to demonstrate strength and progress. Anyone can talk about how strong they are, but life requires you to prove it. Prove you’re ready to level up!
Why are you ready to level up? Ans, why are the painful parts of this process absolutely worth it?
Prompt No. 14
Working hard is important, but also rest. It is tempting to fill tasks with every waking minute of the day. Don’t do that to yourself. Leave room. The space between the things we do is as important as the things we do. Your overriding goal at the moment is to live a life in which most of the things that people fill their lives with are not overloaded and to give you space for what is really important. A life that is not always busy, hectic and stressful, but mindful contemplation, creation and connection with people and projects that you really need in your life.
How can you give yourself a little more time and space to make the right decisions every day?
Prompt # 15
It’s okay to … say “no”. Do you speak. Say the truth. Ask questions. Believe differently. Change your thinking. Prioritize your needs. Learn from your mistakes. Embrace your imperfections. Forgive and ask for forgiveness. Start again, stronger than before.
What would you do differently if you knew that nobody would judge you?
Prompt No. 16
You cannot control how other people feel or how they get your energy. Everything you do or say is filtered through a mindset that is preoccupied with what you are going through, which has nothing to do with you. Just keep going with as much love as possible.
What is a good, current example of someone with a negative attitude who completely misjudges you? How did you deal with it and what did you learn?
Prompt # 17
If you lead someone who is confused, if you hold someone who is sad, if you hug someone who has lost hope, you will feel how you heal and become stronger. So no matter what happened or what happens today, goodness be your superpower. Being particularly kind to people is a peaceful way of living at every moment and a beautiful legacy that you can leave behind in the long run.
Who was the last person to be unexpectedly kind to you? What can you easily do to be a little friendlier than usual today and beyond?
Prompt No. 18
As you get older, the way you look from the outside becomes less of a problem, and who you are from the inside becomes the main concern. You finally realize that beauty has almost nothing to do with looks – it is who you are as a person, how you make others feel about yourself, and above all how you feel about yourself.
What makes your partner (or someone you love) really beautiful from the inside? What really makes YOU beautiful from the inside?
Prompt # 19
Just breathe, be and pay attention to what it is like to be YOU right now. Nothing to fix. There is nothing to change at the moment. Nowhere else. Only you, breathing, with the present, without judgment. You are welcome here. You belong here. Here you are enough Close your eyes. To breathe…
What is true about you that you have to accept more openly and lovingly today?
Prompt # 20
There will come a time when you think everything is over, everything is ready … you have reached the end of the street. That is the starting line. Be humble. Be teachable. The world is bigger than your view of the world. There is always room for a new idea, a new step … a new beginning.
What does “a new beginning” mean for you now?
Decide to live YOUR truth
My biggest wish for YOU right now is that you use the diary requests above to avoid living your life as a viewer …
Not as a prisoner of the wrong beliefs that sometimes hold you in place.
Instead, live in this world on this day and every day in 2020 as an active participant. Ask yourself what is really and important to you every morning and then find the courage, wisdom and willpower to build your day around your answer.
It’s your choice.
Your decision!
You are currently voting.
And if you choose …
complain…
accuse…
get stuck in the past …
behave like a victim …
feel insecure …
Feeling anger …
Feel hate …
be naive …
ignoring your intuition …
ignoring good advice …
to give up…
… Then it’s time to choose differently!
But I also want to remind you that you are not alone. Generations of people in your family tree have chosen. People around the world voted. We all decided at one time or another. And we stand behind you and whisper:
Choose to be present.
Decide to be positive.
Decide to forgive yourself.
Decide to forgive others.
Select to see your value.
Select to see the options.
Select to find meaning.
Prove that you are not a victim.
Decide to let go of your wrong beliefs and stories.
Decide to find the mental strength needed to take a real, productive step forward today.
(Note: Marc and I are building small, life-changing daily rituals with our annual conference attendees Think Better, Live Better and our students in the “Goals and Growth” module of the “Back to Happy” course. And we would be really honored to work with YOU .)
It’s your turn…
If you feel like it, we would also like to hear from you now.
Which of the above journal prompts appeals to you most today and why?
Leave a comment below and share your thoughts.
