For me journaling has been a very powerful way to organize my thoughts and to get more clarity in my life. Imagine a big pile of clothes in your head... this is your thoughts. Have you ever had the same scenario or thought happen in your head multiple times in a day? Imagine if this was your friend you were talking to an not yourself... When would it be enough and when would you tell them to shut up? We can entertain ourself with the same thought over and over again and our brain is interested again and again. For me journaling has organized this pile of clothes (thoughts) into drawers. If a thought pops up in my head, then I will know just which drawer it comes from, I will know the reason, the solution and why not to worry about it. When all the clothes has been organized, it's much easier to have clarity and dig deeper in who you really are. But how do I journal? I personally don't care for writing about the things I have done throughout the day. I'm much more interested in knowing how I feel and why, what made a certain situation uncomfortable, why I felt unmotivated or extra motivated in a situation etc. Sitting with a piece of paper in front of me and just vomiting out what I have felt and thought throughout the day. From there I can find solutions on how to handle it the next time I have the same experience. This is where I really can put my philosophy and values to practice. In journaling I can reflect on what's working and what's not. Optimizing and adjusting is an essential part to becoming better. Do you ever journal? If so, how has it helped you?

Aren't we all tired with all the extensive steps we're supposed to follow in order to be productive? Because yes, I certainly am. Infact, it made me more miserable. Well, not long ago I came across this concept of "be intentional, not productive" and after trying to etch this idea into my routine, I must say that though it is just a shift in perception it still made a drastic difference for me. I think for all of us the pressure to be productive can overshadow what truly matters. We fill out days with tasks, to-do lists, and endless activities, but how often do we pause to consider whether these actions align with our visions and goals? The difference between intentionality and productivity- •Productivity focuses on output- how much we can accomplish in a given time. While yes I agree this is practical, but it can lead us to prioritize quantity over quality. •Meanwhile, intentionality emphasizes on purpose. It's about making concious choices that lead us towards our long-term vision. Why Intentionality Matters? • Clarity of Purpose: Being intentional helps you clarify what truly matters to you. When you focus on your goals, your actions become more meaningful and thus, you actually have a propelling system to keep going. • Lesser Burnouts: Burnouts are the WORST. The pain of falling back into the cycle of procrastination after actually following a solid routine is what burnout does and mentally, the impact is worse. So whether it be me, a student, or a working adult, I believe that stress and burnouts are an inevitable obstacle and are often what lead to a drained mental health. And therefore, when you engage in activities that resonate with your purpose, you find greater satisfaction. How to Cultivate Intentionality? Though I've started practicing this a few weeks ago, I came up with some ways I think might help. •Reflection: Okay...clichéd but very helpful. We humans are spontaneous and so to have the ability to grip yourself and hold back and reflect on whether what you're doing is actually something which aligns with your long term goals or not is something which, if cultivated somehow, changes the game.

It's January 16th and therefore day 15 of the 30-Day Best Self Protocol - which also means being halfway through 🙌🏼 I'm starting to feel really great about being back in a really rewarding routine, and I definitely feel the distance of the Holiday activities and more looseness. 🙏🏼 Last week was all about getting back into the routine, but now it's about embracing it and optimizing it even further, to align even more with the person I want to be. 😀 One thing I've really noticed is how big of an impact getting back to a clean diet has been. I've finally lost the craving for sugary food, and don't think of it to be a "reward" or "guilty pleasure" anymore. I would rather be without - 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘺 𝘉𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘚𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘢𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭! I'm still getting into the preferred routine of proper bedtimes and reading before going to sleep, but it's also improved since last week. I'm also in a period of my life with a lot of other priorities, and therefore emphasize self-acceptance, and remember that I cannot do everything at once.💭 I've also added a lot of new habits/routines that aren't part of 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝟑𝟎-𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐨𝐜𝐨𝐥™ - some older habits I wanted to reignite, including morning sunlight, grounding and breath-work, and others entirely new like doing a 3-minute Ice Bath each morning. Some have more resistance than others, but overall I'm really proud of the progress so far, and know that it's just a matter of continuing, and improving day by day.🙂 So we'll keep going, and keep showing up! 🙌🏼 𝐀𝐋𝐒𝐎.. I'd love to know about your progress halfway through 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝟑𝟎-𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐨𝐜𝐨𝐥™? ❔How did this week differ from the week before? ❔Do you still feel resistance or are the tasks getting easier? ❔Are you starting to see the benefits of the new habits? Please feel free to share your experiences and thoughts or ask any questions.. - We're here to share the journey! 😀 If you have not started 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝟑𝟎-𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐨𝐜𝐨𝐥™ yet and would like to know more about it and the rules, you can read more here

You only have one life.. Make sure you live it how you actually wish to..💭

I’m curious to see how you all go about planning your week. Do you even plan, or do you take it day-by-day? Let me know how you go about it