Video transcript & outlined prompts below.
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Welcome to another Weekly Spark & today I am talking about the five journal prompts I use every single morning & have been for a year.
Five journal prompts I use to help focus my mind, to help clear away any of the junk that may have come with me as I woke up in the morning, any questions that I'm pondering, & it helps me get into this mindset where throughout the day I feel focused, I feel positive, & I feel alive. I feel aligned with what's best for me.
These same prompts you can use in your morning or in any journal practice or reflective practice if you want to do it daily, absolutely, or just whenever you can - use these five journal prompts, & you too can feel aligned, alive & focused throughout your days, weeks, hours. All of the above.
So, what are the five journal prompts?
1. What am I grateful for?
2. What dreams & goals am I focused on?
3. What do I need to let go of in order to accomplish or go after those dreams & goals?
4. What am I open to receive?
5. What is the one thing?
I'm going to dive into not only what these are & explain them in a little more detail, but explain why these five, where they came from, & why they help to create this more focused, aligned & alive work day or weekend - whatever day it is for you.
Furthermore, it is the holidays & something that I've learned in the past year, is that this practice for me is important to do regardless of what's going on. So, even if it's a holiday, like we will experience this week, even if it's a holiday, even if it's a workday, even if it's a crazy busy day, all of the above, I still sit down & use these journal prompts. It may be different for you.
What I've experienced is that I used to do this only on a workday, thinking this is only to focus my workday & help me get in this really ideal headspace to have a really productive, efficient day. But what I found is then on vacation days, for instance, I felt really scattered & really overwhelmed. & then I started associating this with work, & it got all scatterbrained for me.
What I invite is to try this on, put yourself into an experiment to do this, for instance, seven days in a row & just see what happens. No matter what kind of day it is, even if it's a holiday like this week.
Let's start off with number one, what am I grateful for?
This is a really common practice, of course, to do in the day to do just in general, because it is proven by the research to do amazing things for us. One of the things that I always think about when I write what I'm grateful for is that it is broadening my horizons, it is broadening my perspectives of what is possible.
The research base that I studied as a graduate in Positive Psychology was literally you can see, physiologically, our perception, our perspective peripheral vision expands when we have gratitude in our lives. & so, as I'm writing this, it feels good. There are a bunch of other benefits: happiness, positivity, appreciating what I have, so that when I live in that space of the in between - of liking where I'm at, but also wanting more - I still can practice that gratitude of liking what I have, & really appreciating what's here already & how far I've come incorporating that into my daily.
Also, it's that perception, broadening what I feel & I experience as I do this & I think about that consciously because that's one of my main motivators for doing it. & then of course, again, a bunch of other benefits that you'll experience as well. When I write what I'm grateful for, it looks different every day.
Sometimes I'm grateful for running water, I'm grateful that I had a bed to sleep in last night, I'm grateful for my supportive family - the “basic” things. Sometimes it's celebrating really big milestones that I've accomplished, I'm grateful for hitting this goal that I had in personal or professional life. I'm grateful for being able to have this big opportunity in front of me or having something landed into my lap. It can range & regardless, it's gratitude.
I think sometimes when we think of this gratitude practice, at least myself, I've thought I have to do something really big with gratitude, I have to be grateful for these big things or think of the milestone moments only & instead, what I found is when I write down things like “I'm grateful for the blanket that is around me” these little things that actually broaden my perspective even more because it has things that I otherwise would take for granted or not see.
The second prompt that I go into right after that is what dreams & goals am I focused on.
I think of this prompt, & I follow it right after the gratitude prompt, because I write them as if they're already true, because they are already true. & this is something that I originally picked up from Rachel Hollis, I think she may have gotten it from someone else as well. So, we can follow that train of where it came from. But this (it's a psychological trick for lack of a better word), but also it's just manifesting into our life what we desire & trusting right from the desire, from the get go, that it is happening, & it is coming.
I write what I'm grateful for. & then oftentimes the sentence that I personally tend to flow into is, & I'm grateful for these goals that are happening in my life or I'm grateful for this thing that is already taking place, all the different ways that this is already coming into my day to day or that that came into my day yesterday. & then I have a little prompt that I write for myself. So, if you have a 2021 focus or goal that you're leaning into already, start writing I'm so grateful for how this is showing up into my life. I'm so grateful for what I'm learning by focusing my energy here or by achieving this thing.
If you want to transport yourself in time & imagine once you have that thing, what will it feel like? What is the experience what's around you & say, I'm so grateful for this moment & right as if it's in present time, up to you, if that doesn't feel true, try it on, be in the experiment at least once. But if it doesn't feel true, just write it in the way that feels good for you.
I'm grateful for having this goal that I'm pursuing right now. Even that brings it into the present moment. From there & another just like plant the seed - plant the seed is in January's Yes& Experience. So, my group coaching program, we are talking all about focusing our energy in 2021 & you'll walk away with an intention. So, if you don't have a dream or goal that you're focused on, that feels like a big prompt to start with, we're doing that in The Experience in January. So, come on board for that. For January, it's going to be a good month.
The third prompt is: What do I need to let go of to achieve these dreams & goals?
I love this prompt because it is a great way to declutter, it is a great way to simplify & foster that focus. So, sometimes when we think of focus, we think of the North Star, right, the North Star moment of “Okay, this is my goal, I must pursue this thing.” & it's this like effort, full exertion, rather than saying, “Okay, this is my goal.” & maybe there is some of that, like, these are some things that makes sense of the first domino, or the first stepping stone that I'm taking to get there. Or I know for whatever reason, this thing is drawn into the process to get me there.
Sometimes when we're only focused on that way of doing things, there's a bunch of other stuff that's pulling our energy away, that's depleting our energy, that's depleting our focus. If we were to just take a second shift to look over here & say, “Okay, what can I get rid of?” it just propels us even further, think about like, a boat on a dock, right? That's tied up to the dock. If you're saying, “Okay, this is my destination, there's this island over there, I really want to get to it, I need to start the engines, I need to get the compass set, I need to whatever you do to get the boat across the ocean.” I always use metaphors that I don't fully understand.
But imagine that situation, if there was a boat tethered to the dock, either you're pulling that with you & then dragging a lot of weight with you as you go to the island, or you're tethered & you'll never actually leave - no matter how much forward thinking you do.
So, look around, get curious, is there anything I can let go of sometimes that's like stress or doubt, or fear, or there's a gremlin or there's a situation I just need to take care of, right? Like, I really just need to reply to that email. & then I can continue on with my day, it can be that simple. So, ask yourself, what do I need to let go of to achieve these goals & dreams? Then what am I open to receive?
You can see that these prompts are very holistic in the sense that they're covering a lot of ground, not just again, one direction, but a lot of different ways of manifesting & creating our ideal days.
The fourth: What am I open to receive?
This is one that I newly added in the last two months, & it has been a game changer. I was just telling my mom this morning, that oftentimes I write down what I'm open to receive & then I forget all about it. & then the next day, I'll look at my journal to the previous day of what I was open to receive. & it turns out I received it & I wasn't even necessarily aware that that's the thing. But the moment when I become aware, when I'm looking back in hindsight & saying, “Oh, what was I open to receive yesterday?” & it's something that I received, it is a very cool moment, because again, it's building that trust of just showing up & just setting an intention sometimes is enough. Sometimes not. Sometimes there's some action involved.
That's why also we have these other prompts included, but to open your realm of possibility that maybe it's just opening myself up to receive this thing. & that's it not having to think about it any further. Beyond that, it's just “I'm open to receive today”, one of them was guidance, I'm open to receive guidance & so throughout my entire day, I'm just keeping my eyes open for some guidance, who knows how it's going to show up, where it's going to show up. But I have the open & I have the mindset already planted. So that if it does happen, when it does happen, I can acknowledge it & see it.
It's like I've heard some coaches & individuals share. If you're looking for a yellow car, you will find a yellow car. But if you're not looking for a yellow car, chances are you won't notice that yellow car. So, it's just planting that seed in our mind again, first of the day, planting that seed in our mind to keep our eyes open & say “Where is this? Where might it show up?”
Then we have our fifth & final prompt: What is my one thing?
This comes from above, this comes from a book called The One Thing, if you haven't read it, I highly recommend it. It is incredible. & the question they asked specifically in that book is “What is the one thing that would make everything else easier or unnecessary?” So, if I were to just drink water, then I wouldn't feel dehydrated & have to wear chapstick all the time.
What is the one thing that would make everything else easier or unnecessary? & I actually break this into two parts, totally up to you if you use any of these prompts. But if you use this prompt in this way, I break it up into: what's the one thing, like the big overarching umbrella, one thing that's in my life, & then what is my one thing for today?
So today, what I wrote down as an example, the one thing the big overarching one thing for me, & for all of 2021 that I set this vibrational match. To be a vibrational match, energetic match to my dreams, to my goals, to what's going on, to how I want to show up in this world. So that's the one thing & then today, my individual one thing was, I think it was connection.
Again, as you see, it's not that I'm necessarily remembering these verbatim, but in the morning, I'm setting that intention. & that is enough, trust that that's enough, that you've taken the time to sit down to write this out, to clear your mind, to work through anything that's going on & to set that focus & trust that it's going to show up in your day, how it's meant to show up.
& if anything, tomorrow, you can always look back & see, oh, there was that thing that I said I was going to do, & I didn't do & then write it down again, begin again. That's okay, that's okay. If you want to, of course, you could do like a sticky note & write your one thing or write your goal or whatever, to have it in a visual sphere. But what I found is just to have this as a routine practice allows me to be in that trusting space rather than this almost controlling space that maybe you don't go in. But I historically went in of, Okay, I need to remember this. & we need to focus on this. That's not the energy that I want to bring into my day.
What I want to bring into my day is “I'm so grateful that I took the time I sat down & worked out some things, I put myself in a great head space & to trust that that will set me up throughout the day.” & if I ever need to revisit it or want to revisit it, of course I can. But I don't need to it's not mandatory that I have to look at what I wrote in the morning, & continue to revisit it throughout the day.
So those are the five things, I will add a bonus caveat that sometimes when I wake up in the morning, I have some junk on my mind, some things to clear out. & so, this is all pretty positive, even though it has, like I said, that holistic approach of covering it from many different angles, it is a pretty positive, biased approach. Intentionally so. But sometimes there's that junk that I just have to clear out.
If that ever happens, I let myself. Especially if it's feeling really loud, & it doesn't feel like I can just say, “okay, set aside, I'm doing this practice right now. & that's what I want to focus on.” If I feel like that's not accessible, then I journal & I just write it all out. This is what I'm afraid of this, what's this is my bedroom that I had last night, I can't stop thinking about this one thing, I'm ruminating about whatever did it. & then personally, what I love to do is cross it all out.
It allows me to get it out there & allows me to clear my headspace, & then still cross it out & say, yes. & what I'm focusing on today is when I'm grateful for the goals & dreams that I'm pursuing, what I need to let go of to make that happen, what I'm open to receive, to make that happen, & so many other things, just what's on my mind today & that one thing. So that's a little caveat.
I like to include that because the bias of positive psychology, generally speaking, & a lot of these morning practices that I've seen is that positive bias, & it's a beautiful, beautiful space to live in is that one of positivity. & what I'm all for & when we study well-being & what well-being includes is the holistic view of our emotions, our experiences ourselves - it's not eliminating the negative. It is being in relationship with them in a new way.
Commitment will be the key word & why I think of commitment is because of what this practice is all about. It's not about sitting down & doing this once, which would also be beneficial. But the true magic that I've experienced & witnessed is when we commit to something & continue to commit to it over time. & I took it took me a while to commit to this morning practice specifically & I've shared in the past. & I believe there's another video about this, to let there be some external accountability is what ultimately helped me get there.
It wasn't until I had a dog that only gave me 30 minutes in the morning before he needed to be exercised that I really sat down & I said “I really want to do this every morning & this is my time to do it.” & if I don't sit down & do this in the morning is just it's not going to get done because the dog, because of work, because of all these other things. & that's when I was able to foster this. & that's when I stayed committed to it & have been doing this same morning routine, journaling out these same five prompts every morning for a long time now.
It has, as I said in the beginning, it has really fostered this focus, this attentiveness, the self-awareness, the positivity & compassion, like I said, adding in those “negative” experiences, or less comfortable or less ideal thoughts - to let those also exist & work through them & be in relationship with them & be aware of them, & then ultimately land with the one thing & what's important for me about how I land at the one thing is that I've already gone through the gratitude, the goals, the dreams.
Once I land at the one thing to focus my day, it is from a grounded centered place that is aligned with what matters for me. So, I've already set myself up for that rather than just picking, this is the most important thing of my day. In fact, a lot of times I may have an idea of what my one thing may be but by the time I get through these practices, I surprised myself & land in a one thing that is totally different. Sometimes even it's like rest or take a nap, like that is the one thing yesterday was don't look at your phone before bed, because I wanted more sleep. & I did get more sleep because I did that - you may surprise yourself.
If you want to take activities like this & apply them into your life, I highly encourage you to check out The Yes& Experience. It's my group coaching program, I planted the seed earlier that if that one prompt of what goals & dreams & I focus on - if that feels overwhelming, The Yes& Experience in January is all about creating that focus for 2021, specifically for the year.
Setting yourself up, if you want to apply these types of practices, these alignment practices, & enjoy the space of positivity & you want to be in a community that is outstanding, & that is also in this place of positivity & overall wellness check out The Yes& Experience.
