At the end of the day, those who were able to pursue what they considered important and are satisfied with themselves will win. The day started well. I have just finished a 90 minute meditation session. My mind was allowed to dream, regenerate, feel joy and calm. The slight trans is still noticeable and a great serenity fills me.
Where there was initially still active thinking, restlessness, problem-solving and chaos, calm and clarity were allowed to slowly set in. Today I would like to share the findings from this session with you.

I realized that I am consciously focusing again and again on the possibilities and the beauties of a situation, but in the last few months I had to realize that I often did not achieve what I wanted. How does that come about, I ask myself? One answer is that obviously certain changes are not yet deeply rooted.

Habits take time, and installation and maintenance take willpower. This effort is often underestimated, especially at the beginning, which leads to the fact that we do not even start and when we often stop again quickly and put the supposedly desired activity aside, new habit. According to my observation, the main reasons are due to two things: Firstly, a why that is too weak, and secondly, a goal that is too ambitious and that costs too much energy (willpower). In the course mini-habits, it was explained that different activities require different amounts of energy (willpower) and that this resource is limited. I can only recommend this udemy course because it is entertaining, well structured and has proven to be very useful.

We all know it in a different way: I wake up with all sorts of plans and am highly motivated to finally fulfill my to-do list today and even add additional tasks to it because I’m in a good mood. I plan to train, meditate, to practice, to go without sugar, to go to bed early and in any case to write the 500 words of my book today or to successfully check off other self-imposed creative activities.
What often happens could be described as a slight departure from well-meaning desires. All sorts of things happen that spontaneously come in between, we go through some nerve-wracking moments with our fellow human beings, answering e-mails take longer than expected, we don’t take enough breaks and fight our way through the day, inside the song of “fight or “flight” instead of the longed-for “rest and digest”.

The evening is coming, the to-do list may have been worked through, we just haven’t found the peace to meditate and the struggle has a sugar-sweet snack on our conscience. Training and creative activities are still pending.
The energy level is low and the willpower is almost depleted. So what’s left? Choosing an activity that costs little to no energy. The usual suspects: coach, food, Netflix and chill and other “white-noise” activities. Because of a bad conscience, an email from work is often fatally answered “briefly” and the necessary recovery of creative resources is made even more difficult.
Can we be resented by how the day went No, in retrospect we even feel reassured that after such a day we had no other choice. What is true is that the course favored this outcome and that we started the evening with little willpower reserves.

The good news: There are ways out.

1. Structuring work and consistently taking relaxing breaks
   (keyword Pomodoro interval technique = 25 min focused work, 5 min break or alternatively
   DeepWork every 90 minutes with 90 min break).
2. How to write a smaller to-do note and learn to prioritize.
3. Eating consciously, celebrating eating and expanding it into an oasis of relaxation. Have small healthy snacks (vegetables, nuts) ready, first drink enough and then feel again whether you were really hungry, because this is often confused with thirst.
4. Check whether you really want to pursue your new goals .
5. New habits based on the “tiny little principle”, which “mini habbits” integrate (my writing program is probably also a Lord of the Rings fan, because he always tries to turn it into mini hobbits).
6. Celebrate the small progress and keep going. Integrate setbacks as part of learning. Better a “missed” take than no “take” at all.
7. Plan the coming day and, if possible, secure your desired activities.

I will write a separate blog article for each of the points, otherwise this text will be several pages long and the concentration and willpower will evaporate 🙂

So, my friends, we are already at the end and I am dismissing you with an invitation to a feel-good moment.

Playful breathing exercise:

1. Count to five with your fingers (fingers leave the palm). Now count to five again and fold your fingers back in (fingers back to the palm). Does this work? Well. Blow your nose and off you go.
2. Find an upright seat or lie down.
3. Connect sensibly with your breath, your body and this moment. Let the breath flow in and out through your nose.
4. Inhale for about five seconds and count with the fingers of your left hand. Exhale five units and count with the same hand as well. Inhaling and exhaling make a breathing cycle. Repeat the same thing with your right hand. Feel how and where your breath flows. You have now experienced a complete unit (five left, five right), i.e. a breathing cycle.
5. Observe how your breath can flow slower and deeper. If desired, expand the counting units.
6. Repeat the type of breathing three times on each side (5 l., 5 r. X 3).
7. Let the exercise inside you linger, watch how you are now, enjoy your breath and pat yourself on the shoulder that you were ready to get involved (take it literally).

Stay safe and sound, stay tuned and take a break.

Namasté