Welcome to another Weekly Spark with Yes&. Last week we talked about how to get unstuck when you're uninspired. This week, let's dream even bigger.

Rather than just get out of a rut & start that momentum, create a practice every day to stay unstuck.

We're doing this by utilizing the Positive Psych productivity hack that's called Flow. To follow along with the five journal prompts I will be sharing with you today, download the free PDF that's linked below & as your first step to take action & get unstuck – give this video a like on YouTube. 

Scroll to the bottom of this page to watch the video, or simply read the transcript below (edited slightly for clarity).

We are stepping toward that big picture vision today through five journal prompts to help you get unstuck, stay unstuck & foster that sweet experience of flow. Diving right in:

Prompt #1 to foster flow is: State Your Desire

A lot of people live & die by writing down your goals every single day. & I see why, because writing down your goals is proven to help you attain those goals more frequently. We'll utilize that trick later in this video. For this prompt number one, I encourage you to not only state your goal or desire, but do so with detail. So, not only writing down the description, but also the feeling, the experience & the anticipated outcome. Not only does this help you step into your goal & desire, it also helps to clarify what that goal & desire is, truly.

Years ago, I wanted to adopt a dog. (If you are a dog lover, let me know below!) I adore dogs & with every ounce of my being - I wanted a dog. However, a lot of logistics made that desire feel really silly, until I got really clear about the details of the desire. It wasn't just that I wanted a dog. That's the description. I also wanted to feel that feeling of unconditional love, to share it with something that could receive it unconditionally, & to receive it from something that shared it unconditionally. 

On top of that I wanted to experience the balance that this dog would throw me into. Rather than just focusing on work, I wanted to experience something else, something beyond myself. & now a year & a half owning my dream dog, I can confidently say that I am experiencing the desire. Not just owning the dog, but experiencing love, experiencing the connection that I had no idea would come, like all the wonderful humans I've met at dog parks & via dog sitting & Instagram being a place where people are connecting with me - simply because of my dog!

These were unanticipated outcomes, but still in alignment with the original desire, which was to share & receive love through a dog. This kind of detail can & should be applied to all of your desires, not just stating “I want this thing.” But really what is under that. Why do you want that thing? What does it feel like? & that not only, again, helps you to really understand what you desire, but helps to use as guidance along the way for you achieving that thing, or if it's a little bit out of alignment - you can adjust accordingly. 

Because you're writing this every single day as your first prompt, you will always have at least this moment to check in & see how this desire is coming along.

Prompt #2 to foster flow is: Get Unstuck

So, with this desire, what if anything is on your mind, on your heart, or around you that feels like a gremlin? A worry or a limiting belief that is keeping you from getting this thing. Write out all of those fears, all of the worries, all of the old storylines that are coming up to say that you can't have this thing & then cross them out. 

If you really want to be dramatic, you can burn the piece of paper (safely, near water). Nonetheless, cross them out so that they don't exist. However, it is still important to write them down. Oftentimes fears & these limitations are really powerful if they're held under the water, but once we bring them to the surface & we lay them out in front of us, they lose their power. 

So, write them out, see them written & then cross them out & get rid of them in whatever way feels best for you. Now, whether you are action oriented or intention oriented, these limiting beliefs will probably look different. If you don't know your strength, action or intention, then you can take my free quiz here. 

If you do know your strength, pay attention to these limitations & these worries & beliefs that are coming up. If you're action oriented, your fears & worries may be on the side of not knowing where you're going - feeling like you don't have a direction or doubting that you are making progress toward your goal (potentially because that goal hasn't been adequately clarified). 

If you are intention oriented, those doubts & worries may rather take the form of the implementation. So, although you feel confident & clear about what it is you want, there are a lot of questions about how to make it happen. How will I bring this into my life? Or what do I do first, after writing out those worries, after writing out the fears & the limiting beliefs, crossing them out or burning the paper carefully -go on to prompt three.

Prompt #3 is to: Foster Flow 

Flow is a concept that was introduced to Positive Psychology by a professor & doctor named Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi.He was my professor in my master's degree program & he talks about finding that perfect blend between something that feels a little bit out of your reach that you really have to pay attention to & work toward, but also you feel adequately capable to do it. 

So, you continue to persevere & your motivation is not dwindled because it feels too hard. This is what we want to do right now to foster your flow. Think of two different ways you could go toward your desire that balance your skill set & challenge you at the same time. Another way to think of this is: What feels just outside of your comfort zone, but still feels approachable enough that it doesn't scare you away? 

If you start to feel that fight, flight or freeze response from within you, that's too challenging or outside of your skill set. So, bring it back a step. Now, also be wary that this isn't buying into those limiting beliefs that we crossed out from prompt two, rather that is just to find that perfect plan that feels challenging & exciting & invigorating - & you feel capable & motivated to go forth & do it. 

You still may feel a little bit of that anticipation & potentially you would even label it fear. But it's that upward energy, exciting kind of fear, that's what we're looking for. Write them down & know that those two options plus many, many more are there from you to choose from in a moment. Then go on to prompt number four.

Prompt #4 to foster flow is: Build the Excitement 

Build the excitement within you of why you will persevere toward this desire to build that excitement, to build that momentum & already gather all the data & the energy for you to go forth & pursue this thing. No matter what comes in your way. What it will feel like when you have this thing. Imagine your life on the other side of getting unstuck. Imagine your life when you're in that desire, what do you feel like, who is around you, what is around you & what is possible now. 

So, for instance, I have a goal for myself eventually, to speak in front of larger audiences. & I can paint that picture for myself that on the other side of getting unstuck from whatever is keeping me from that reality. Not only is there the experience & the feelings that are there that we explained in prompt one when I'm actually speaking, but also on the other side is a more expansive life. I feel more grand, I feel excited, I imagined the individuals I will connect with in the audience's that I speak in front of, I imagine the readers that are reading my book or ask for a signature & the conversations we will have & what's possible is more individuals to feel the way that I feel every single day, where I feel excited to go to work & I feel proud of the life I've created. 

The feeling & the experiences I am seeing in my clients right now & have been for many years, but the pool of people experiencing this will be even bigger. That is what motivates me to persevere no matter what happens. & I want you to find yours. What is on the other side of you getting unstuck? What is on the other side of you not only attaining that desire, but experiencing it & then leveling up beyond it? What is possible for your life? Gather that, feel it, feel it as if it is here right now & then hold on to that & have it in your back pocket if you ever doubt or have any fears or those worries from prompts to that come up. 

You can work through that worry & you have the motivation, you have the reason & the purpose to persevere. & lastly, we have arrived at our final prompt. 

Prompt #5 to foster flow is: Make the Declaration

I previewed this in prompt one where I said that you are more likely to attain your goals if you write them down. So, right now, succinctly write down the summary from prompts one through four. I provided an outline for you, again, you can download the PDF to see all of these prompts written out for you. The outline is: I desire “summary from prompt one” - explain it in detail. Then I “release prompt two” - what are the fears & the worries, the most prominent ones that you release so that you can step into prompt three, your plan for how & in doing so I “experience prompt four” say it as if it's happening right now. I experienced vitality & expansion & possibilities. I experienced contentment & peace & joy. Again, this declaration is:

I desire prompt one, I release prompt two so that I can step into prompt three & in doing so I experience prompt four.

Once you have this, comment below or comment one part of that phrase to declare it & to increase your chances of it happening in your life. These five prompts will help you to get unstuck & experience flow, not only once you achieve your greatest dreams, but in the process, in the journey right now, to see these five prompts written out, to follow them & to have them for your everyday journal, download the free PDF that has them all laid out for you either by clicking this link or by heading to yesandbymarin.com/blog

I mentioned the intention/action strength quiz I have that for free, as well for you so you can gain more self-awareness of where your strength lies & where some of those limitations may pop up. Remember to comment your declaration below & if you want to see more videos just like this, I would be so grateful for you to like this video on YouTube & share this with a friend. Quick idea, you can share this video with a friend who you want to be your accountability buddy & then you can both do these five prompts every day for a dedicated period of time. Uplift each other & the whole world gets a whole lot better. 

Next week, I am providing three journal prompts specifically to foster your self-improvement & well-being. Thank you for joining, videos come out every single Tuesday at 5pm Mountain Time. I will see you next week!