Gretchen Rubin of the Happiness Project gave me the idea of keeping a one sentence journal. I think this habit will help you understand more about who you are and what you need to be happy within your business.
I usually write two sentences instead of just one because I like to write about what happened in my day and how I felt about it. I focus on the most emotionally powerful event. This helps me stay focused and not let the journal get too jumbled. Here are some of my entries:
- 12-3-09 Thursday
- I berated myself with negative thoughts because I forgot to send out an email. I wished I had a cold so I could use it as an excuse not to work. (This was eyes opening. I couldn't believe I wished illness on myself. It was at this point that I began to really develop a more positive mindset.)
- 1-15-10 Friday
- I spilled tea all over my keyboard, reminding me to laugh at myself. At first I felt stupid, but then I smiled and actually enjoyed the clean up because I made a song out of it. (When I was finally able to stop taking myself so seriously and laugh at my mistakes that's when my career happiness finally blossomed.)
- 3-16-10 Tuesday
- I stared at my apple for 10 seconds to calm myself down after a client emailed me back listing all my supposed faults. The apple reminded me of a cool Monet painting. This self calming method helped me regain control of my emotions and realize the value in the email. (It's amazing how many tools I've learned to bring back emotional balance when I need it the most.) Take a moment to write down your first entry in your one sentence journal.
Make it easy.
The idea is to make this habit so simple that you want to do it every day. That's why I suggest only one sentence a day. We resist tasks that feel like work, but feel pulled to work that is easy and fun. You need to make this daily reflection a chance to uncover your superpowers and leverage them to do more great work.
So at the end of each work day, write down one experience, thought, or feeling that you had. That's it. I also like to summarize my week and my month, but that's just because I'm a bit of an over reflector. Try this one sentence journal for thirty days and see how it works for you. I don't think you'll be able to stop. If you notice at the end of 30 days that all you do is complain then it's time to drop this silly idea.
Now if you notice that you are happy, more productive, and more in tuned with your emotions then don't stop.
Keep on watching your thoughts, feelings, and actions so you can use them to improve your amazingness.
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