THE ART OF APPRECIATION - CULTIVATING GRATITUDE WITH A JOURNAL
I find that in a world of abundance we periodically find ourselves losing touch with being grateful for the people, places and moments in our life.
Honestly, with the rise of the digital age at our fingertips it is hard not to blame you for getting stuck in the overabundance of information thus leading to mental and emotional state of analysis paralysis.
At any moment in time you can detach from the current state of existence into a world fully bias by your imagination to stop suddenly and realize that you have past time without any form of productivity.
On the contrary, as a fast paced, future oriented individual buried in the workings of their career's there is also a form of escapism into the 10-year goals that they set forth. Then suddenly on a random commute back home on a Tuesday evening they stop and have a realization moment about who they are and why they are sprinting into the future.
We have all been guilty of living our lives through the lens of a straw. The repeated action of daily routines in our potentially fixed existence without observation or interpretation. This is where the intervention of a Grateful Journal can pay massive dividends on your mindset. One that is not fixed in nature but is of Growth.
"The unexamined life is not worth living"
- Socrates
Even though there is success while living in the state of being "in the zone," or "on autopilot," it is imperative for us as humans to slow down to evaluate our journey. This will allow us the opportunity to explore the creative mind of our inner selves and make the necessary adjustments to our future.
The Grateful Practice
As simple as it sounds, forcing yourself to write down a minimum of 10 things you appreciated every day is a powerful ritual. And yes, it might be difficult to write down 10 things at first but that is why it is also important to be consistent with this practice.
By switching to a grateful mental state when you wake up or when you go to bed, you are promoting your brain to secrete endorphins to calm your body and brain down. By starting to notice the positive aspects of your daily life, you will subconsciously start to become happier and confident.
The Grateful Journaling Practices
Below is a variety of ways to approach your grateful journaling. You can either write down in a journal or use a voice recording app to express yourself through the power of voice. Your system of recording your logs is highly individual to you. Start with this layout and expand from there.
1. Start with a Free Brain Dump
10 minutes of recording everything on the surface of the mind
This will clear up any surface tension to allow the brain to focus
2. Today I most Proud of...
The One Thing from today
One new accomplishment each day for 365 days
3. I am Grateful for...
List 3 different things
For example, My Wife, My Kids, My Home
Do not repeat day to day, be sure to see the little things in life
4. Write Down the 3 Fantastic things that Happened to Me Today...
If you go through the entire day, you will be more conscious to have more fun each day to fill out those 3 fantastic things
5. Write down 3 things that can make my Day Better...
For example, I was on social media too long so I need to limit that my activity
Now that you have recorded your journal, the trick is to review it the next day so that it is in the forefront of your mind. As I have learned from my mentor Charles Poliquin, "What you appreciate. appreciates."
Review your journal the next day so that it is in the forefront of your mind.
In business if you appreciate the new clients you have, you will have an abundance of new ones and if you appreciate your physical strength in gym, you will acquire an abundance of physical strength. I have always approached my life with this mindset even if I need to have a moment of self awareness to remind myself.
BONUS for all the Parents out there as I am a father of three strong and motivated children each with their own strengths in life. My wife and I believe it is imperative to develop our children into individuals who are thoughtful, gracious and impactful. We do our best to teach our children to examine their life at the end of each day to help them retain important information and create moments of self awareness of their actions.
When winding down at the end of the day, I recommend you ask them 3 questions:
One thing they have done for someone else today?
One thing they have learned today?
Three things they are grateful for today?
This will help develop their learning capacity, positive thinking, and self-confidence. Chances are they will probably ask you the same questions in return so it will also reinforce your relationship!
Steven Nickel provides a Tailor-Made Fitness Experience for the individual who wants to acquire high quality results. Providing Exclusive Personal Training, Made to Measure Coaching and Ready to Train Collections. To learn more Inquire Here or write to steven@stevennickel.com
