‘Idol’ Time, Captain’s Log, and Reclaim Your Life
Hi Folks! Connor and Nick here from Health, Uncomplicated. Thanks again for being on our email list, it means a lot, and we are excited to share our weekly email with you. We hope you enjoy it! Here is what we hope you take away from this one:
1. Develop an ‘idol’, a fictionalized representation of all the virtuous qualities you want to emulate and start asking yourself ‘what would my idol do?’
2. Log like a captain. From humble beginnings of jotting a few words on a page, you can develop into someone who thinks and communicates more clearly, is more aware, and manages stress like a captain.
3. Learn how to regain some control over your time, one of the most important aspects to your wellbeing.
Starter Mindset Tip: Who is Your Idol and What Would They Do?
The idea of having an image in your head of someone you esteem to be is one way to help guide you through moments of uncertainty. It involves sitting down and identifying what your ‘idol’ would look like based on those virtues you hold most dear. Often this idol is based on bits and pieces of people you know, mixed with fictional attributes and traits. It is a helpful practice to go through as it helps you learn more about yourself, what you most value, and who you strive to be. Our need for role models and idols is a deep-rooted human condition that should be fully embraced. The Stoics encouraged this practice as a means to cultivate inner strength and resilience rather than relying on extrinsic factors for happiness and fulfillment. It is still as important today as it was back then. Take a moment today to envision your idol and then utilize this image going forward as you try to emulate this role model.
Health Recipe: Captains Log Entry 001
Timing: 1-10 minutes. Whatever you can make happen!
Level of Difficulty: Easy, you just have to get in the routine
Serving Size: Start with a short amount of time to create a consistent habit to fit it in most days
Spice Level: Mild-medium
INGREDIENTS
Just you and a journal
REASONING AND BENEFITS
The exercise of journaling has been around for millennia, since the dawn of ink and parchment, and for a good reason. There is tremendous benefit to the simple practice. Contrary to how it may seem, we are not the most efficient thinkers, and tend to ruminate on things without making much ‘mental’ headway. Two ways we can help ourselves think through something are talking with people, or writing it down. The act of writing things down can be immensely helpful in terms of working through things we may be struggling with. Even being more conscious of what is causing us stress, and writing that down, is a powerful tool. Journaling allows us to get in a better habit of identifying how we’re feeling and more importantly, why we are feeling that way, as well as turning our inner thoughts into coherent written words. Beyond improving communication and aiding stress management, journaling also has the benefit of helping us with memory and awareness, taking stock of what we have and what we’ve accomplished, goal setting, tracking and personal growth. Grab a pen, start small and enjoy the process of journaling.
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Begin by setting a daily timer to remind you to carve out three minutes in the evening, before bed to reflect on your day.
2. Jot down a few daily highlights and what’s coming up over the next few days
3. Start with a few key words or phrases.
4. Once you get in the habit you can start logging longer entries with more details and thoughts.
5. Start leveraging journaling to help identify what is causing you stress, set goals, take stock of what you value, and track progress.
PRO TIP: If you don’t know what to write, just start by writing a few things you did during the day that you enjoyed, and a few things you would like to do tomorrow. Start small, and go from there.
* If you are looking for inspiration on where to begin, start with daily highlights, things that stood out for the good or bad. From there you can expand to personal goals you are working on and what level 0(rookie)-10(master) you consider yourself at that moment.
** Journaling is a great way to keep stock of what you are enjoying, and those things that are causing you stress.
*** Make note of your skills in communication, stress awareness, general awareness, goal setting and tracking at day 1 and after one and two months of journaling to see how these things progress over time.
Dessert Quote:
“Happiness is determined by factors like your health, your family relationships and friendships, and above all by feeling that you are in control of how you spend your time”
― Daniel Kahneman, “Thinking Fast and Slow.”
Sources:
Learn more about how to think about your life to increase happiness and awareness:
Kahneman, D. (2011). Thinking, fast and slow. Penguin UK.
