This is the third blog in a three part series where I discuss concepts which have pulled me out of a near depressive state. In Part One (https://travelandtash.wordpress.com/2017/01/22/learning-to-invest-in-myself-part-one/), I discussed which sources I turned to for help. In Part Two (https://travelandtash.wordpress.com/2017/02/10/learning-to-invest-in-myself-part-two/), I address Robbins’ “Six basic human needs” which help us understand why we do what we do (human behaviour patterns). I note loving yourself, human need for friendship and the 33% rule as integral patterns needed for basic happiness and fulfillment.
In Part Three, I will conclude by discussing my most recent steps to find happiness and fulfillment: cultivating good routines and habits. Routines and habits are the key to investing in yourself. Tony Robbins (“Hour of Power”) and Hal Elron (“The Miracle Morning”) are huge fans of starting your day off with habits that produce focus and energy. Most “successful” people begin their day with meaningful habits. Let me explain how I have begun to change my habits, and some of the positive effects I have already noticed!
My diary is almost full, and it’s only February. Here’s why. I began following Clark Kegley’s advice about the benefits of journaling. He raves about benefits including creating heightened awareness of your goals and monitoring your progress. Following his advice, I began to journal about things like, what are my short and long term goals, what do I want from my work, rest and play times, what are the things I learned this year, and so on.
I also began to take notes on some of the vlogs Kegley released (https://youtu.be/rh6MflkPPjQ) that summed up the main ideas from influential books like, Think and Grow Rich (Napoleon Hill), How to Win Friends and Influence People (Dale Carnegie), The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (Stephen Covey), and others. I became curious about all this potential knowledge out there and wanted to become more informed. I also began writing “gratefulness” diary entries to begin to recognise that, despite the challenges I have been facing, there are so many other positive things in my life. Recognizing my blessings have helped me to put my challenges into perspective.
I also stumbled across Hal Elron’s The Miracle Morning (https://youtu.be/U0uRp7BoPVY). I watched a video where he describes going through two seemingly insurmountable challenges. He later explains that he noticed that the major reoccurring pattern for successful people was their morning routine. Thereafter, he presents six steps that he began implementing immediately.
I have been doing Elron’s Miracle Morning for the last nine days. I used to awake every day around 11:30am, and head to bed around 1am. I now awake at 8:30am, and head to bed around midnight. My productivity has gone through the roof. I began working through all the Miracle Morning steps.
I begin my day by doing yoga (https://youtu.be/92y33hYJec8) or following an aerobic dance video (https://youtu.be/CLgPUDU4PM0) (“Exercise”) on Youtube to create energy. These vary between 10 minutes to half hour. Motivation to work hard and do a lot with your day comes, in part, from physical stimulation. I have done yoga on and off for over fifteen years. When I don’t do yoga or some form of exercise daily, I begin to feel depressed. Numerous studies advocate the importance of physical exercise to feel happy. Once again, the importance of physiology, mentioned in Part Two, is incredibly important to our mental state. I’ve finally decided that I just have to look after me every day by working out. I see exercise time as “me time.”
I follow this up with meditation (silence). This usually comprises of either prayer, following a yoga meditation practice with Ekhart Yoga (https://youtu.be/Ht2vvt9IQoc), or practicing yoga breathing. I’m really just starting to figure out what meditation actually is, so I’ve largely been following Ekhart meditation variations to figure out what to do, and why it is supposed to be so useful. So far, I’ve discovered that I feel really calm after meditation practice.
Then, I visualize what steps I need to take to reach my goals and what my life will be like once I’ve reached them. This step is super useful because I can think clearly about the challenges to get to my goal, and strategize about what resources I can use to get to my next step toward reaching my goal. I’ve found that visualization has been one of the most surprisingly effective steps because I get most of my ideas during visualization. For example, my short term plan for now is to build a blog that caters to expat female teachers, however, I’ve not worked hard on finding ways to reach my readers. I’ve focused on writing itself. Yesterday, during visualization, I suddenly decided that I needed to research how to market my blog better. Sometimes, the epiphanies may be simple, but with so many distractions, sometimes even the simple steps can be sidestepped.
I also write in my journal (scribing). I update goals and steps required to reach them, and always write down one thing that I am grateful for. I’ve included simple things, like being grateful for my tablet, my make-up artistry and aesthetician skills, and the convenient location of my little bachelor apartment. I additionally write about my progress so far so I can reflect on the usefulness of what I’m doing. It’s very interesting reading diary entries from only six months ago, and noting how much I’ve developed.
Thereafter, I read or watch something inspiring (https://youtu.be/2ciJQ6yA9HE) that may give me an idea for the day. These might be lifestyle guidance or something related to my goal. This is where I seek out my mentors. I subscribe to, among others, Richard Branson (Virgin group), Clark Kegley (Journaling) and Evan Carmichael (“Believe”), and love to read or watch something from one of them daily. I have begun actively posting replies to their blogs and vlogs to engage with my mentors, show gratitude for their efforts, and connect on a deeper level with the content they write about. Today, I read and excellent article about marketing my blog which has given me lots of ideas to consider.
Finally, I read affirmations, namely, notes that I have written which boost my self confidence. In last year’s diary, I wrote down a list of my accomplishments (see my blog post:https://wordpress.com/post/travelandtash.wordpress.com/2238), and I review these accomplishments to help me feel as empowered as possible at the start of my day. As mentioned earlier, while scribing, I also began monitoring the improvement I’m making toward my goals. Additionally, I’ve begun making goals for my month, and usually do this within the first few days. After the month is over, I review how successful I was with these goals. I then add successfully accomplished goals to my list of accomplishments so far for this year and this practice is very encouraging for me.
I also started adding a goal to help with my personal development. This month, I wrote down that I want to be more patient and kind, especially when I’m under pressure as this is when I find it most challenging to be empathetic toward others. I want this characteristic to be part of my character for the long haul, and so I make a mental note daily to try to bring this to my awareness repeatedly throughout my day. It’s been quite hard to recall my monthly “character” goal, especially when I’m at work, however, practice is making it easier, and I’ve already begun seeing differences in my behaviour.
I’ve put up coloured posters as daily reminders to remember various things. I’ve posted my goals, skills, the steps to my Miracle Morning, and also some of my favourite quotes which are just by my door. I like to read one or two randomly during my day.
As I mentioned in my previous blog (Part Two), my need to keep learning is paramount to my need for fulfillment. My research and efforts to improve myself continue daily on my quest for happiness and fulfillment. There are many resources out there, and it is my hope that, if nothing else, my blog will help you to be aware of just how much help there is available, if only you take the time to look.
I expect to follow up this series up in a few months, updating it with new strategies to aid me on my quest to feeling fulfilled.
Thank you for reading! Keep learning!
Comment below. Please share what you do to energize, stay motivated and enrich your lives daily.
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I really enjoyed this just as much as Parts 1 and 2! It is certainly very imperative to have a daily routine that enables you to feel strong and healthy, both mentally and physically, every single day. I find that being active and spending time in the outdoors as much as possible to be very helpful to my mental wellbeing and maintaining this during a stressful academic program has its benefits. I couldn’t imagine how much more I would struggle with my stressors if I never looked out for my personal health. One thing I do differently than you is not keeping a diary, but this is something that I am thinking of starting. I have had a gratitude journal in the past and found this to be a very special experience. I admit that I have let my busy life creep in and ignore the potentials of personal journals!