Week 40 - I got this!

"What you verbalise will eventually materialise. You have the power to talk aspects of your reality into existence." (Vex King)

Vex King emphasises the power of what we put out into the world through what we say aloud about ourselves. He presents this as a process of programming our subconscious minds to change beliefs. Typically, I'm used to engaging affirmations during difficult times, rather than as a means of trying to lay a solid foundation, outside of a challenging situation. Saying that, I can understand the potential of this kind of practice.

Question: What do you repeatedly say about yourself that feeds into your beliefs about yourself?

Action: Create an affirmation and experiment with saying it aloud to yourself on a daily basis.

Week 39 - Root-ine

"Routine roots us!"

Over the last number of years, due to an increase in workload and a few extra bodies around the house, I have found that some of the greatest challenges for me have been due to a lack of consistency and organisation. As a result, I have made tweaks in certain areas to relieve pressure and free up time. Examples include, wearing pretty much the same clothes to work every day, standardising my packed lunches and installing a place to put up my keys in the kitchen.

Question: In what areas of your life does routine serve you well? What are the potential implications for other areas?

Action: Make one small change to your approach to home or work life that will ensure a greater level of consistency, routine and repetition.

Week 38 - Move it, move it!

"It is action that creates motivation." (Steve Backley)

As we wander into the start of January, here's just a gentle reminder to exercise. I'll keep it even shorter than usual this week and add in one more quote of my own, "You never regret going out for a walk."

Question: Who said exercise has to be painful? What type of exercise do you enjoy?

Action: Commit to the following for the next seven days- go for a walk outside for at least 10 minutes and/or do 20 air squats across the day.

Week 37 - I don't know, yet

"Every day is a school day."

As we begin 2023, Ray Dalio is very blunt in his reflections on learning. He basically emphasises that if you can't look back and acknowledge how stupid you were at the beginning of last year, you can't have learned a whole pile.

Question: What did you learn last year?

Action: Make an explicit effort to learn some new things this week... and the week after...

Week 36 - Good vibrations

"The feelings we project are returned on a like-for-like basis through our experiences." (King, 2018)

In his book, Vex King suggests that the types of vibes we put out reverberate all around us. He believes that firing out good vibes results in good vibes coming back to us; positive action and mindset can lead to positive outcomes.

Question(s): How positive are you in your interactions from day to day?

Action: Make an effort to remain positive this week and notice any shifts. Sounds like suitably festive carry on to me!

Week 35 - Priority? Really?

"The real measure of any time management technique is whether or not it helps you neglect the right things." (Oliver Burkeman)

Consider the following list of potential priorities: clean and tidy home, manicured garden, balanced diet, tailored and specific fitness regime, 8 hours of sleep, helpful and connected to family and friends, active community member, career building, tv time, creativity time, reading time, etc. To be honest, I'm tired thinking about this list! In his book, 4,000 Weeks, Burkeman highlights the importance of deciding what you're not going to prioritise and being at peace with this decision.

Question: What areas of your life, that will remain off the list of priorities, do you need to make peace with? (These are just never getting optimal attention and that's okay!)

Action: Do a Warren Buffett (in Burkeman) on it: (a) List the top twenty-five things you want out of life (b) Arrange them in order, most to least important (c) Organise your time around the top five and actively avoid the other twenty; Buffett suggests that the bottom twenty are the dangerous distractions and most likely to inhibit you from achieving your goals.

Week 34 - Thinking of you (still)

"Children are like wet cement. Whatever falls on them makes an impression." (Haim Ginott)

As Christmas approaches, I am reminded of a recent change to my present buying routine that has happened over the last number of years. Ahead of hitting the shops in town or online, I pause for a little while and take the time to acknowledge someone who has been very supportive of me in some way in the past, particularly when I was a growing boy. I then head off and buy a little gift for this person, who won't expect it and may or may not know what an impact they have had on my life.

Question: Outside of the obvious, who has had a very positive impact on you across your life (maybe go right back to childhood)?

Action: Over the coming weeks, make an effort to acknowledge the positive support of one or more of the above individuals in your own way.

Week 33- Which way?

"The obstacle in the path becomes the path. Never forget, within every obstacle is an opportunity to improve our condition." (Old Zen Story in Holiday)

In The Obstacle is the Way, Ryan Holiday dedicates a considerable amount of his book to supporting readers in understanding the power of potential obstacles in supporting self-development. He argues that perceived barriers, challenges and inconveniences can prove advantageous to us. For example, Holiday highlights the benefit of using difficult situations to practise virtues, including patience, creativity and courage.

Question: What positive impact has a recent challenge had on you?

Action: Identify difficult situations for you across the week and try to notice the potential benefits of these challenges/issues/concerns.

Week 32 - Tell me more

“People describe me as the type of person who can talk to anyone, but it’s really that I can listen to anyone.” (Murphy)

Recently, I have started to pay more attention to my approach to chats and the difference between holding the space for others and pursuing my own agenda. In her book, You're Not Listening, Kate Murphy explores two types of conversation responses: shift (directing attention away from others and back to oneself) and support (maintaining curiosity about what others are talking about).

Question(s): Who do you know that is willing to hold the conversation space for you when you're talking? How does this feel?

Action: Spend more time digging deeper into the thoughts of others this week and avoid taking conversations off in your own direction; let the chats be less about you and more about them!

Week 31 - No drama

"Strong minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, weak minds discuss people." (Socrates)

During my holidays, I met a lady with the above tattoo and it got me thinking. I guess, I am interested in exploring how regularly we preoccupy ourselves with other people's business and discuss their actions with others. Socrates seems to be highlighting the importance of minding yourself and trying not to get drawn into pools of social negativity and unhelpful gossip.

Question: How do you interact with gossip and interpersonal drama at home, work or out and about?

Action: Make every effort to only discuss the actions and intents of others positively this week.