Five Minutes a Day That Will Change Your Life

Each day, we are surrounded by internal and external noise. The greatest challenge this presents when it comes to productivity and making progress in our lives is how and where we focus. Each day we get is a blessing, and what you do with it is a choice.

There are a few things you can do each day that will have the most impact on your success, fulfillment, peace, and happiness. Yet for most, much of the day is physically, mentally, and emotionally wrapped up in reactive mode. Our “important” and “not urgent” ideals (as coined by Dr. Stephen Covey) play victim to the day’s occurrences and other people’s agendas.

So, what can you do? Take control at the beginning of each day and not only set an intention, but also a deep mediation that orients you to stay on target throughout the day.

The key to anything worth practicing is integration. What to do and how to do it. I recently started using an amazing resource with my clients and have found it to be unparalleled in not only practicing gratitude, but also clarifying a vision and focusing their efforts on a daily basis.

The name of the tool is called The Five Minute Journal, and it was put together by Alex Ikonn and Uj Ramdas.

This tool gives you the ability to ground your day each morning. It starts with gratitude, followed by listing the top 3 things that would make your day great, as well as the affirmation of your vision. After the day closes you revisit and check in. What were the top 3 things that most positively impacted your day? The journal then asks you if there was anything you could have changed or done differently to make the day even better.

How often do you practice gratitude? I mean intentionally, deliberately, and consistently?

According to University of California, Berkeley, scientists have recently begun to chart a course of research aimed at understanding gratitude and the circumstances in which it flourishes or diminishes. They’re finding that people who practice gratitude consistently report a host of benefits. Including:

• Stronger immune systems and lower blood pressure.
• Higher levels of positive emotions.
• More joy, optimism, and happiness.
• Acting with more generosity and compassion.
• Feeling less lonely and isolated.

One of the things I love most about the journal is it really does take 5 minutes to use it. There can be a lot of noise in our lives, and this tool is incredible to help center our intentions and help to align with them mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

You can purchase a hard copy of the journal, or purchase the app for your electronic device at http://www.fiveminutejournal.com.

Peace,

Chris