Daily Journaling

One important habit I have picked up recently is Journaling. I spend 10 minutes a day every day in thinking about and answering the following questions:

1. What are 3 things that I am grateful for?

2. What would make today great? What are the top 3 focus areas?

3. Affirmations: I am

At night, before I go to sleep, I introspect and answer the following questions:

1. What are the amazing things that happened to me today

2. How could I have improved today? What can I do better tomorrow?

It is already creating a shift in my thinking and the way I am approaching each day. It is a habit that I feel deeply committed to doing every single day. And I hope to spread this habit to my family, friends and anybody who wants to improve their mindset and be happier.

Feeling the Fear and Doing it Anyway

Over the past one month, I have been taking baby steps towards key personal initiatives and every single time, I have stopped short of making any meaningful progress on them. I have thought about the reason why I am sabotaging my own efforts and came to a realization about my fear of change.

There is a dichotomy here. On the one hand, I really want to change certain habits and on the other hand, the more I try to change them, the more my fear sends me in the opposite direction, right into my bad habits. I feel terrible procrastinating and slipping into my bad habits, over and over again. 

I also understand that I am human and I am forgiving myself for my missteps. This is the way it is meant to be. Change is meant to be slow and painful and it involves feeling the fear and doing them anyway. This month, I am going to breathe into my fears and going to take action every single day!  

Snakes and Ladders

I recently went through the list of goals that I have been setting and pursuing for the past few years. On one hand, it gave me a deep sense of gratification seeing how far I have come. On the other hand, I saw the hallmark of each of the Big Bang goals that I had pursued. It was like a sine wave with falls after highs, again and again and again. It was almost like I was the protagonist in the game of Snakes and Ladders with one catch - I could never reach the finish line.

I tried to make sense of it all. I felt a real sense of apprehension that I may never be able to live up to my expectations of myself. That, my sense of achievement is always meant to be short. That I may never be destined for greatness. That I may never live my life purpose. When I allowed myself to feel these thoughts, I felt heavy. I felt shortness of breath.

I tried to shake it off. I tried talking myself out of it, that it was just a phase and that I will hit upon real continuous momentum soon. I couldn't shake off my thoughts. 

That was when I tried a different approach, a different perspective, as advised by my coach.

What if I was meant to fail, again and again and again? What if the whole objective is not the outcome of the goal but the endless pursuit of it? What if the meaning of the big picture was not what I had achieved but Who I had become? And as a result of Who I am being, what gifts could I offer to the people around me?

This felt powerful. I felt deep compassion and self love. I vowed to myself that I will not lower my goals, that I will keep pursuing my dreams. And if I fail and fall, that is a learning that will make me who I am meant to become. 

As August comes in, I write a new page in a new chapter in my life. This is a chapter where wins and losses, achievements and failures do not matter as much. In this chapter, the only thing that matters is the next step. The next baby step. And I am ready to take that next step

Goals for July

The first half of the year is over. Looking back, I realize that I have jotted down too many goals to show quick progress on any of them. I also understand that each of these goals are important to me. So what can I do to move forward?

The key is to be 100% me and bring the best of myself every single day. I believe there are 2 goals that stand out and that will require my complete focus every single day.

1. Focus on Fitness (30 - 45 min activity every day)

This could be jogging, biking or gymming but the key is everyday! When I look back to the times that I have felt sluggish, it has never been on a day when I have exercised! Physical fitness will allow me to bring 100% energy to everything I do and am excited to pursue it with all of my heart!

2. Focus on Writing (~30 min a day)

I feel fantastic every single day I write, be it in my blog or in my journal. It makes me feel centered and connected to who I am at my best. This in turn will allow me to play all out in every other goal in my life! Super excited to write every single day!

By focusing all my energies on these 2 critical goals, I hope that I will continue to make progress and move closer to my dreams!

Being is through Doing

I have often been guilty of having a 'To-Do' list and then failing to get the items completed. Not only will I not complete them, I will end up feeling guilty and frustrated as hell pretty often. This was an oft repeated theme in my life that led to a lot of self blame and a lack of self esteem. 

But then, Coaching happened. It was and is one of the most beautiful things that happened in my life and one that I am forever grateful for. As I learned to coach, I also got coached. Often. Slowly, I started to see the patterns in my life and the false stories that I have been weaving around, owing to my lack of doing. Thanks to Coaching, I developed a strong sense of self, my values, my purpose and most importantly who I am being.

The difference between Doing and Being is the key bridge. I realized that all the things that I have done in my life is when I have been myself, when I have deeply honored my values. That is when I have felt truly alive. When we look at doing from a perspective of longing and desperation, doing becomes all the more difficult. When we look at doing from a strong sense of self and from a perspective of our identify, doing becomes easier. Not easy from an effort standpoint, but easier from a mindset standpoint.

Every day, I am realizing that Being is through Doing. To make progress on my blogging/writing goals, I have to first believe that I am a writer and approach writing from a perspective of a writer. To make progress on my public speaking, I have to believe that I am a speaker and put on the hat of a speaker. 

Being is through Doing. Coaching is one of the tools that will strengthen our sense of who we are. And as we become more of ourselves, we will do more and move closer to achieving our dreams!

Inspiration from Chef's Table

Thanks to a friend, I recently chanced upon this series called 'Chef's Table' in Netflix. Each episode talks about a particular world renowned chef's journey from where they started to where they are, now. I caught up a few episodes and ended up watching them over and over again. It was deeply moving to watch the protagonists go through their struggles, at times insurmountable odds before triumphing on their own terms. I came out with a number of insights from this incredible series:

1. It is not enough to have Passion and Drive; In the face of insurmountable odds, Strength of Character and a deep sense of Values and Purpose make the difference

2. Reaching the destination matters but more important is the process; The rigorous process that the chefs fall in love with, and imbibe, defines who they become and defines their journey

3. No achievement is possible without a team that makes it possible; Creating a culture that is empowering and sparks creativity and leadership within every team member ensures success

This series is not just applicable for aspiring chefs, but for every single one of us who aspire to become more than who we are today. I hope that you watch it soon, get inspired and start working towards your dreams!

Transitioning to a Growth Mindset - My Struggle, My Resolve

I was super inspired after reading 'Mindset' from Carol Dweck. It spoke about a concept around growth mindset and how anybody can learn anything, irrespective of their past experiences once they transition into a growth mindset. I immediately resolved to put on my growth mindset and inculcate the belief within me that I can learn anything if I set my mind to it and manage my inner critic effectively. 

Two weeks later, I am struggling with my inner critic. I know it is not the real me, but my mind is so tuned to it that taking any even tiny action against it seems really difficult. I just realized how much of a fixed mindset I have when it comes to learning outside of my comfort zone. My resolve is to keep up the struggle, manage the negative emotions and come out the other side conquering this piece of me which keeps me in the fixed mindset. 

It is not going to be pretty but I truly believe in the concept of growth mindset with all of my heart.  I see so many people around me constantly getting judged and in turn limiting themselves and their potential. This is not just about me. It is about human potential and the possibility of personal transformation, not just for an elite few but for every single person who can develop the belief within themselves! But it starts with me. And the people around me. One of my greatest strengths is to see the best in people. It is time I start seeing the best in me!