Sunday Journal Prompt

“All people are the same; only their habits differ.”

 – Confucius, ancient Chinese teacher and philosopher

On the eve of the new year, I’m thinking a lot about habits. While journaling regularly boosts my mindfulness of the choices I make and how they affect me, I’ve discovered that tracking my habits in an app adds an extra layer of awareness. By taking a few seconds each day to log my daily activity into my phone, I ended up with a solid snapshot of my behavior patterns this month: the good and the bad.

While habit tracker apps are plentiful (http://bzfd.it/2CfNqsp), the one I found most useful is Daylio (http://bit.ly/2C1MOm1), an app that links how you feel as a result of your behavior. This month I’ve been tracking activities like exercise, household chores and how often I see my friends—as well as unhealthy choices I’ve made: eating sugary food, staying up too late and spending too much time with energy drainers.

While it’s motivating to see streaks of positive choices, such as doing cardio exercise three times a week, what has been even more reinforcing is the way I can track how much better I felt after making healthy decisions. And when I have unswerving proof that eating junk food has made me feel icky, it’s easier to ignore excuses and resist temptation. What began as an exploration of tools to help my wellness coach clients turned out to inspire me to make healthy choices more consistently. 

What habits would you like to build? How might you support yourself along the journey?

Sunday Journal Prompt

“Nothing is impossible; the word itself says ‘I’m possible.’”

– Audrey Hepburn

 

 

My friend Meg, who studied math in college and worked in the insurance industry for years, never thought of herself as creative. However, she discovered artistic skills in herself during her thirties when she found she enjoyed making and decorating cookies.

Now she runs a thriving business making old-fashioned butter cookies with buttercream icing, custom decorating them for parties and events. As busy as her customers’ orders keep her, she loves it and appreciates the opportunity to continue to discover creativity within herself. “I didn’t know I could do this,” she says. 

What have you long thought you can’t do? Write about a first step you can take toward honing a new skill.

 

 

 

 

Sunday Journal Prompt

“My heart is at ease knowing that what was meant for me will never miss me, and that what misses me was never meant for me.”

– Sufi prayer
 

As my son, his friends and thousands of other high school seniors begin to hear back from colleges they applied to, this is a time of elation, uncertainty and heartbreak as acceptances, deferrals and rejections are posted on electronic portals.

During times like these, this Sufi prayer about how what is meant for each of us will come to fruition may offer perspective. Although we may not yet know what we are meant for, this Sufi message implies that we will find it and it will find us. 

When have you felt that what was meant for you came to you?
 

 

 

Sunday Journal Prompt

 “The real cycle you’re working on is a cycle called yourself.”

– Robert M. Pirsig, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance 

In his book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, Robert M. Pirsig, who studied science, philosophy and journalism, turns his observations about his hobby into metaphors about his life.

For example, he notes that an idle motorcycle engine lopes. And he describes his ritual of adjusting the valves on his cycle’s engine as a way to reset his bike for his long journey.

When I purge my garden of weeds, I make room for healthy growth of the vegetables, herbs and flowers I’ve planted. Similarly, when I take time to unload worries into my journal, I free my mind to move forward—a way to foster growth. 

What insights can you gain from your hobbies or daily tasks?