It has been 5 years since I quit the corporate rat race.
Sometimes, late at night, I still wonder if I made the right decision.
But then I look at my current life…
I could see my family and go swimming in the middle of a weekday because I’m not stuck in a physical location for work.
I get more fulfilment from the work I do, knowing I’m helping people daily.
I am more efficient becauase let’s admit it – most people with a desk job procrastinate tasks to fill the time.
I am generally less irritable and stressed despite being a therapist than an office worker.
The journey hasn’t been easy.
As I reflected on the changes, I noticed the consistent theme of making a change and pursuing something worthwhile.
This week’s all about being proactive and taking control of our lives.
Read on!
Today in 3 minutes or less, you’ll learn:
✔️ My weekly review and reset system
✔️ Debunking your limited beliefs
✔️ How to actively manage negative emotions and undesirable behaviours
Doable ideas 💭
Do you think we will benefit more with systems in place to make our life more manageable?
Over the years I’ve developed a solid weekly review and reset routine:
- 20 minutes to review the wins, challenges and things I’ve been thinking of
- 10 minutes to plan events ahead (workouts, social events etc.) based on predicted availability and energy level (the latter is more applicable to female readers)
- 45-60 minutes to do some meal prep (good planning does prevent snacking!)
Less than 2 hours required over the weekend.
That is not a lot to ask for to keep one’s physical and emotional health balanced despite a busy schedule.
A little bit of planning goes a long way.
Take more control.
Don’t let life pass by.
Try this for you.
Reflections 🪞
What fear or limiting belief has held you back from pursuing something meaningful? How might challenging this belief change your path forward?
Mindfulness 🧘🏻♀️
By observing hundreds of patients that come and go in the mental health units I work in, I realised there is a prerequisite to proactively manage negative emotions and overcome obstacles in life.
To develop strategies to manage those emotions, we first have to understand what patterns or undesirable behaviours emerged.
And that comes from tracking what we are doing and what is happening around us.
This is what my clients often lack: insights and self-awareness.
For example, by tracking for a few months I found out I tend to experience low mood and irritability on certain days every cycle. Hence I can develop strategies to manage my experience and maintain quality of life:
- communicate low mood/needs with people around me, so they know I don’t mean to say anything hurtful/offensive
- schedule time alone (I love float therapy for that)
- alter diet (increase complex carbs)
While continuing my workout, good sleep and meditation habits to handle things that are outside my control.
Strategies can make sure I’m on my A game (work and workout performance, mental clarity etc.), instead of letting life (or myself) sabotage my mental health and important relationships.
For some people, they might have to put strategies in place to not order pizza and binge watch TV 3 nights a week after work.
It takes self-awareness, patience and consistency.
Similarly, to get to your goals, track your behaviours to measure the current vs ideal gap and the effectiveness of output.
The best way to predict your future is to create it.
– Benjamin Hardy
Be clear of what the goal is.
Be proactive.
Stop playing victim.
There are more things you can control and influence than you expect.
P.S. if you want to learn more about my goal setting system, check out my Notion templates here.
Ideas Worth Pondering 🧠
In theory, consistency is about being disciplined, determined, and unwavering. In practice, consistency is about being adaptable. Don’t have much time? Scale it down. Don’t have much energy? Do the easy version. Find different ways to show up depending on the circumstances. Let your habits change shape to meet the demands of the day. Adaptability is the way of consistency.
– James Clear