Welcome back! I hope you’re back in the saddle after a decent rest over the holidays. And if there was no break (you are in tourism, you have small kids, you took your leave days in June)… well, giddy up. Things were fast in 2023, and they’re about to get faster.
For me, I annually recommit to my daily practice. It’s tough. I need to get up around 5 am to do my daily breathwork, gratitude check-in, positive reinforcement and journaling. The kids and Caroline are still asleep, and it’s awfully tempting to just stay and cuddle. My four-year-old is a great cuddler.
But it’s also important to set up each and every day for success. Because my Instant Gratification Monkey will have me procrastinate the hell out of the day if I don’t have clear ideas of how I want to allocate my most precious resource: Time.
A note on Time. It’s a finite resource. We all only have about 4000 weeks in the tank. Personally, at 50, I’m at about 2500. So I’m 30% and counting, and I plan to not waste a moment. Unless wasting the moment is what I choose to do. That’s something different.
I see it as resource allocation. And my resources will go purely to maintenance if I let it. But I need to channel resources to growth too. Growth in self, growth in relationships, growth in business. And that’s the part that we often neglect as we get sucked into reactive transactional activities.
If I don’t plan, if I don’t have the year, the month, the week, the day, mapped out, my distractibility would take over. So I am in a habit of getting up early, reaffirming what’s important through gratitude, and making conscious choices about my day. I can recommend it. And, here, for your convenience, is an extract from my online Time Management Course that might serve as a two-week playbook for you to develop the habit:
Two-Week Playbook: Cultivating Mindfulness and Purpose through the 10-10-10 Journaling Practice
Introduction:
Embracing a daily journaling practice can foster a sense of gratitude, inspiration, and purpose. The 10-10-10 framework serves as a simple yet impactful routine to encourage self-reflection and intentional living. This two-week playbook outlines a structured approach to incorporating the 10-10-10 practice into your daily routine.
Week 1: Building The Habit
Days 1 to 7:
1. Morning Routine:
10 minutes of Gratitude/Meditation:
Find a quiet space, sit comfortably, and focus on your breath. Reflect on things you are grateful for.
10 minutes of Reading/Listening:
Choose a piece of inspiring content; it could be a book, a podcast, or a TED talk that resonates with you.
10 minutes of Journaling:
Answer the prompt: "Why am I alive today?"
List three things you are grateful for
Set three achievable goals for the day
2. Evening Reflection (5-10 minutes):
Reflect on your achievements, challenges faced, and how the journaling practice is impacting your day.
Week 2: Deepening The Practice
Days 8 to 14:
1. Morning Routine:
Continue with the 10-10-10 framework, possibly exploring new meditation techniques or different inspiring content.
Challenge yourself to delve deeper into your journaling responses.
2. Evening Reflection (5-10 minutes):
Reflect on your progress and any emerging patterns.
Note any changes in your mood, productivity, or overall outlook since starting this practice.
3. Engagement:
Share your practice with a trusted person, discuss your insights, and encourage feedback.
4. Evaluation:
At the end of week two, evaluate the impact of the 10-10-10 practice on your daily life.
Consider any adjustments to better suit your needs or schedule.
Additional Tips:
Consistency: Aim to keep your 10-10-10 practice at the same time every day to build a routine.
Variety: Explore different forms of meditation, and change your inspirational sources to keep the practice fresh.
Reflection: Use your evening reflection to adjust the practice to better meet your needs or address any challenges encountered.
Support: Engage with a supportive community or individual who can encourage your practice.
Hit me up if you want a more detailed day-by-day playbook – it’s on my online course, and happy to give free access to the first five people who send me an email. Here’s an example:
Day 1:
Gratitude Theme: Gratitude for self (abilities, strengths, and achievements).
Reading/Podcast: TED Talk: "The power of vulnerability” by Brené Brown or
Day 2:
Gratitude Theme: Gratitude for relationships (family, friends, colleagues).
Reading/Podcast: TED Talk: “What makes a good life? Lessons from the longest study on happiness” by Robert Waldinger or Book: “How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie
Etc etc…
Now this won’t be easy. But it’s like any habit – you just need to start somewhere. Also, accountability helps. Who’s going to support you?
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