Is It Time For A Change?
10 Mindful Jounalling prompts to help you gain clarity and move forward
It’s really hard to make changes in your life, particularly if they’re big ones. Your brain will give you all kinds of excuses why it’s not a good idea. Here are a few of the most common ones:
It’s too hard
I’m too old
I don’t know how
I’m not ready
Maybe someday……
Don’t listen to any of those. It may not be easy, but it’s definitely not too hard. You are never too old to follow your dreams. You DO know how (or you can figure it out). You’ll never be ready and you’ll run out of somedays.
If your heart and soul are telling you to make a change, then it’s time to work on the thoughts that are getting in the way.
Whenever I want to create change in my life or make big decisions, I turn to mindful practices. Meditation and movement (walking or yoga) are valuable tools to use, and mindful journal writing is key.
So grab a pen and something to write on and let’s see where the writing takes you. There are several ways to explore your thoughts about change on the page. You can just start writing and do a “mind dump” or you can use these journal prompts to help you find the flow.
Mindful Writing Questions and Prompts to Create Change
What are your values? Values are things that are important to you. They help give your life meaning and purpose. Everyone has their own unique set of values and they are key in evaluating your choices. Ask yourself what you need in the following areas to feel happy and satisfied.
- Family
- Health and wellbeing
- Social (friends)
- Work
- Personal development
- Money
- Leisure/community
- What do I really want in my life that I don’t already have? Hint: It’s always a feeling that you’re after, not a thing. We want things because we want to feel a certain way.
- How will this change affect my life? We all have certain routines and habits that we tend to do daily/weekly/monthly/yearly. What will change in your routines?
- How will this change affect those around me? Will the change you want to make affect anyone around you? List all the ways your change will affect others and try to make the list objectively - just list the facts.
- What will be different about my life when I make this change? Will this change lead to more changes? How will you feel?
- How important is this change in my life? Does it feel like something you really need to have? Why or why not? On a scale of 1-10, how important is it?
- What will happen if you decide not to make this change? How will you feel if you don’t do anything differently and maintain the status quo?
- Are you making this decision from fear or from love? This is a chance to talk to that higher version of yourself who loves you and wants the best for you. Are you making the decision because you’re afraid not to, or are you excited to meet the future version of yourself who is happier and more peaceful?
- Picture yourself 5-10 years from now. What is she doing? How does she feel? Did she make the change you are considering? Have a conversation on paper with this future version of you and see where it takes you.
- Imagine a friend of yours is asking advice about making the same change in their life. What would you advise them to do?
If you’ve spent the time thinking and self-coaching about all of these questions and jotting down some answers, you’ll likely have more clarity on the direction you want to go. I suggest re-visiting these questions and prompts often so you can begin to notice any little shifts that are taking place. They may be subtle at first, but with practice you’ll notice the difference.
“True life is lived when tiny changes occur.”
Leo Tolstoy
“Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world.
Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.”
Rumi
Are you ready to make big changes in your life? Or is your life pretty good right now and you’d like it to be even better? Life and mindset coaching will help you make changes, big or small. Get clarity on your goals and shift your mindset to move towards the life you were meant to live. Email me at sharon@sharonashtonmindfulyoga.com to find out how.
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I’d love to hear from you so please send any comments or questions to me at sharon@sharonashtonmindfulyoga.com. Feel free to share this email with anyone else who may be interested.
Please check out The Journey Within podcast at:
What is stopping you from living your best life? Get out your journal and a pen and take the new quiz on my website to find out:
Are you interested in learning more about life change & mindset coaching from a mind/body perspective? Please email me at sharon@sharonashtonmindfulyoga.com for more information or to schedule a free introductory consultation to see if coaching is right for you. You can also visit my website coaching page.
"I felt at complete ease with Sharon from our first conversation. She has a wonderful, gentle but firm way that made me focus on my thoughts / feelings so I could remove / change to move forward with a completely different feeling to what felt like obstacles. It was great having regular coaching that gently kept me accountable to actioning and moving towards my goals. Sharon has vast experience in so many areas, I felt that makes her an amazing coach.”
— Michelle Carney, East Galway, Ireland
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