1-2-3 Sundays: Success, Inspiration & Medicine

1 Idea

Am I Succeeding?

As you go through your 20s you see your peer's lives begin to take course.

Some move country while others go hard in their careers. Some start families while there are a few who are on a self-discovery mission.

There's no right or wrong way to live.

As I see the divergence, I often wonder if there's are universal feeling of fulfilment or is there a feeling of not being satisfied with where you're at.

It comes down to what you see as success.

Personally, as long I know I'm in control of the direction of my life and I'm moving closer to where I want to be, I'm succeeding.

I don't need to have life figured out at 26.

But I can have a vision of the person I'd like to become and the life I'd like to have.

2 Positive Outcomes

The Sunday Stress

A staple of my Sunday had always been prepping my lunches for the week ahead.

I would have 5 lunches of the same meal ready for Monday through Friday.

Strangely, it always caused me more stress than needed because I felt like I couldn't be as spontaneous throughout the day because in my mind it was something that I needed to get done.

To combat this, I've changed the way I prep.

Instead of doing it all on Sunday, we double on dinners. We're going to be cooking at that time anyway so it makes sense.

This allows me to have more time on a Sunday and also some variety with what I'm eating throughout the week.

Going Within

I've been making a conscious effort to journal more - using prompts and just emptying my brain on to the page.

It's a tool I've used for a long time and I always find myself to be more self-aware when I'm consistently doing so.

For a long time, it was how I energised myself because I could offload the problems I was facing and feeling.

A lot of conversations I have around journaling are about the awkwardness you experience at first, especially if you're not used to writing about your feelings.

An analogy I like to use is the brain isn't a hard drive for storing lots of information. It's more like a processor that wants to run and operate at your best.

Getting everything down on the page frees up the mental space needed for you to have clarity.

3 Learnings

Be Deliberate

When it comes to developing a new skill you don't become a master overnight.

You have to put in the work to improve, learn and get feedback on how you're progressing.

One of the key aspects of this is the practice.

It's deliberate.

Think of someone learning the guitar. They have to practice consistently for years to become world-class.

This same principle applies when you're attempting to improve yourself.

You have to be deliberate in the pursuit of building up your intuition.

What's hard about this is the desire for instant results however the more deliberate you are the quicker the results come.

Inspiration & Self-Actualisation

I read a quote on inspiration this week.

Inspiration is absolutely unnecessary and somehow deceptive.

With access to so many people who are doing great things, we can easily find a role model and feel inspired by them and their work.

This leads us to feel inspired and be the fuel to our path of greatness. It's almost like a sort of divine quality we have to seek before we can start.

However, I believe it's not the inspiration that's pushing you.

It's self-actualisation - the realisation of what you're truly capable of.

Medicine For The Mind, Body & Soul

Aimee and I love going for a drive with a coffee and then heading out for a walk along the trails.

Despite this, it's something we've neglected for a while.

Even though we both enjoy it and always come away feeling refreshed afterwards.

Last weekend we made the conscious decision that we needed to be doing more of these activities to allow us to spend time together and decompress from the high-paced lives we live.

We went up to Loch Ard just outside Aberfoyle and spent some time walking through the forest and beside the water.

One of the best parts was when we arrived and opened the car doors.

Silence.

It was so peaceful.

Instantly, I felt myself changing to a relaxed state.

It was exactly what we were looking for.

What are you doing to look after your mind this weekend?

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Speak soon!