Picture our perfect day in five years

I have been listening to Cait Flanders Opting Out Podcast.  One episode was the perfect day in five years.  She gave a list of questions to consider where you want to be in five years. What your perfect day would be.  I thought this might be a good starting point to create some intentions to move us forward.

As we consider the questions of where we want to be in five years we should also consider how to move forward to that perfect day.  What can we set in place now or let go of that moves us forward?  

I’m not going to answer the questions here. I will be journaling about them.  Anything that comes up I should be doing or letting go of I’ll keep you posted.  I hope this gets you thinking what you need or where you might want to be headed.  Please drop me a line. I would love to see what comes up for you.  I’m a good listening and brain-stormer!  Here they are!  Remember this is your perfect day.

1. What time do you get up and how do you feel?
2. Where are you?  Home what does it look like?
3. Who is with you?
4. What kind of work are you doing?
5. How do you look and what are you wearing?
6. How do you get to work?
7. What do you enjoy doing after work – hobbies maybe.
8. What is your evening like?
9. How are you feeling when you go to bed after a good day?
10. What are you grateful for now / today?

As you can see the questions are more open.  Remember this is your perfect day in five years.  Sit with them. Journal them. Maybe put them away for a bit to mull over.  Then we can head back and start to move forward to that perfect day.

PS I’m usually someone who would answer questions realistically.  Just look forward to where I will likely be in five years and do my perfect day from that.  But NOT this time.  This time I am full on imaging what my perfect day could be.  The sky is the limit for this people!!

  

Journaling as an intention

People overthink journaling. We want to start journaling but never seem to find the time. Part of that is we overthink it. We’re not writing our epic life story. At most we’re writing down a feeling we had that day or answering a journaling prompt.

Also we don’t have to journal every day. It is a journal not a diary. I do think it is helpful when starting to have some journaling prompts. Lots of us look at a blank page and that is the end of it. Nothing to say. Put the journal away.

So if establishing a journaling routine is our intention lets break it down. I’m going with a four month intention time frame. Remember this is not a resolution of firmly starting or ending an action. It is fluid. An intention.

Breakdown! Exciting part.

1. Remember we are breaking it down into smaller manageable steps. That gives us a sense of moving forward when we cross an item off – no matter how small.
2. Start with purchasing a pretty journal. Something that makes you smile when you look at it. Also a nice pen. I like to write by hand.  I find my thoughts are different when using a pen and paper compared to typing on a device. If you are using a device that is fine. First item crossed off your list! Remember to set a deadline to purchase your journal. Say within the first two weeks.
3. Head to PInterest or wherever and find some journaling prompts. Again set a deadline and have fun here. Yes, I know it is easy to go down other rabbit holes on Pinterest especially with crafts and holidays coming up. That is okay but remember the prompts first and than the rabbit holes.
4. Write them in your journal – maybe the back pages to refer to later. We want to have prompts for when we feel we have nothing to write about.
5. I don’t recommend setting specific dates for your journaling like Monday, Wednesday and Friday. What works for me is X many times a week. That way if Monday is shot Tuesday is okay or even Thursday. As along as you do the set amount of times you committed to. You might have to journal two or three days in a row. That is okay.
6. Be gentle and give yourself grace. Life happens. Remember you don’t have to write an epic entry. It can be a sentence or two. I felt like……when this happened. Or a funny thing someone said that day. Not all journaling has to be serious. Also remember you have your prompts at the back to refer to if stuck not nothing what to write.
7. During the four months look for more prompts. You don’t want to run out. Jot down questions you want to explore through journaling.
8. Just a suggestion, but what about taking your journal and writing at lunch time?  Head to a cafe, grab your favoriate beverage, relax and write.  This is also about finding time for our intention (yourself).
9. Remember this is only for four months. You get to set another intention in four month. Assess how you felt about this one.  Was it worth it? Will you be continuing? 

Here are a few journaling prompts to start you off:

What did you love to do as a child?

What would you tell your younger self?

If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?

What does blue or red or yellow represent to you?

Favorite book and why?

What is your favorite holiday and why?

Ocean or lake? Beach or mountain vacation?

What would you like to collect if you had time and money?

Secret fantasy job?

If you came across interesting journaling prompts let us know.  Always good to have a few tucked away!