Building a habit for who you want to become
It’s Saturday July 1 2023, as I write this week’s article. Half the year is over, and we have the next half of this year to look forward to.
Time for a well-earned pause and reflection for all of us.
It is an even greater pause for me as it was just over 3 years ago (in June) that I started writing this weekly blog. What a journey it has been. I took some time to go through my earlier articles. I can see how my writing and thinking have evolved. And there is more evolution yet to happen.
With each article I write I realise how passionate and enthusiastic I am about my future-proofing work. And the theme is the same. We have choice and control to adapt at speed by engaging our brains to create the future we want.
In keeping with the reflective theme this week, I have picked 3 of my older articles that are at the core of future-proofing. This may be helpful to my new readers who have recently subscribed to my blog.
** Getting clear about your future self
** The good NEW days - practice being your future self
** Some must have cognitive tools for your cognitive toolbox
Thank you all for embarking on this journey with me. You, your reading and feedback, keep me going.
And as I pause to reflect and review my articles over the last 3 years, my writer future-self has developed a few idiosyncrasies that are worth sharing:
1. I don’t know what I will write about until Saturday morning
Sometimes I know what a potential topic may be but until I sit at my desk and start typing, I am not sure how it will develop. This was not the case in the first year. Back then I had to give it more thought. My brain’s wiring for writing was still in its infancy.
2. I write to gain clarity
When I do not have clarity on a topic, I write about it. Because, for me, writing is thinking. Writing is a method, a crucial one, to gain clarity. Which is why writing or journalling is important. It helps declutter the brain by making space for new information to arrive.
3. It is a surreal experience
To sit in front of my computer looking at a blank screen, and see it slowly fill with approximately 700 words over half an hour is magical, really. My writing brain has matured allowing the synthesis of various insights to form an article. It is not always a smooth process, but I have learnt to surf the writing waves. I look forward with anticipation to what my writing brain offers.
4. I let my subconscious edit my writing
I walk away from my desk or do something else once I have my first draft. My subconscious takes over and whilst I am busy with other things it tells me where I need to edit my draft. Another surreal experience. Insights are best discerned when we are not thinking about a specific problem or challenge. Once my subconscious gives me all my edits, I transfer my article to my mailing software and ‘curate’ my article for publishing.
And here’s the most bizarre thing, on the mornings that I think I don’t have a good article in me are the mornings that I write some of my BEST articles. The edge can be a great place!
I share this to inspire you to take that next step in one area that you want for your future self. The starting can be hard and uncomfortable. And the first step can be the toughest. But once you start and keep going, your brain will help you commit. By building a habit(s) for who you want to become.
To get you started here’s a wonderful quote from Abraham Maslow, “The most fortunate are those who have a wonderful capacity to appreciate again and again, freshly and naively, the basic goods of life, with awe, pleasure, wonder and even ecstasy.”
The Kuala Lumpur twin towers from my daily run route
This week on my daily run route I experienced the above. I looked at the view that I had seen nearly every day, taking it for granted, with awe and wonder. It was breathtaking!
Over to you now. How have the last six months been and where do you need to see what is right in front of you from a different perspective?
And most importantly, what do you want for your future self in 6 months?
Best wishes for the second half of 2023!
As always, you can reach me at yoga@yoganesadurai.com