Hello!
On any journey we start, any project we take on, we have to find creative ways to keep the passion alive. Just like with marriages and relationships, so it is with our 21-day journey of action, accountability and extreme achievement.
When the nuts and bolts of daily action hits us, along with life and its unpredictable nature, our initial passion can wane.
Here is where we must remember why we started. As with a great marriage, if we keep a vivid picture in mind of what we love about our partner, why we love him/her and got together in the first place, we will keep the flames going – they may not always be a raging inferno but they will simmer and crackle with as much vigor as is needed. We have to also intentionally look for new things to love and appreciate about our wonderful loved one.
Why did you take on 21 days of action, accountability and extreme achievement? Chances are you had something significant to achieve; and you thought 21 days would be perfect to get it done or significantly started. Your passion when you started came from somewhere real and it’s important to identify that source.
Was your passion about getting something done that will lead to more joy in your life?
Perhaps it was about getting something done that is long overdue – so your passion is connected to the idea of completing it?
Or is your passion about getting something done that will bring joy to others?
To grow your passion you have to know the source of it. If you know the source, you can focus on it, keeping it alive in your mind and in your heart. This way you constantly remind yourself about the promise of joy, satisfaction or blessings for others. We have to think about what we wish to remember. It’s that simple but we often forget.
- So the first step in growing your passion is to know where its coming from.
- Then spend focused energy – like with a marriage or love relationship – thinking about the “why” behind the daily actions that will get you to where you are headed.
Why are you taking these actions steps each day? What will they achieve, eventually? Keep the picture of completion and WHY behind it all at the center of your thoughts.
Spend a few minutes each morning calling these images to mind and re-committing to what you have taken on and why; remember the passion and experience it as if it is at its peak. Feel your joy – for yourself and for others – that will come when these 21 days are done.
- Challenge yourself in these morning sessions to come up with a new great reason to complete the journey. How else will you or someone else be blessed by its completion? With an intention to find more good – like in a marriage – you will find it.
So if you are organizing a room, completing a book or a song, or increasing sales, find new great reasons – a new one each morning, to complete what you started. How else will an organized room bring joy to the life of all those connected to it? And your song…how else does writing it bless you or someone hearing it? How does increased sales help you, your family, your colleagues or staff, your company, your own sense of who you are?
Whatever it is you have undertaken; find a new reason each day why it is important to complete.
- Finally, make it visual. See it in your powerful imagination, find pictures to support the desired outcomes and necessary action steps, post the pictures where you can see them easily, draw what you see in your mind’s eye, paint a mural- or get one done, that captures your vision and get simple symbols of your goal and passion – even a rock from the garden can have meaning IF we provide it.
A quick summary of how to grow your passion: know its source; know and think about your ‘why’ during daily morning sessions; have an intention to find a new ‘why’ each day; and make it powerfully visual.
As with the daily relaxation/imagination exercise, forgiveness ritual and daily goal oriented action steps, consistency is the key. We will get extreme results when we provide extreme effort.
Here are the daily exercises – for your convenience.
1) Spend at least 30 minutes on specific action steps connected to your goal. If you can invest more time, do so. You are working on the third benchmark – due to be completed by Wednesday June 8th
2) Do the daily forgiveness ritual to remain accountable. Doing this exercise daily will allow you to start each day with a clean slate and with all the energy, focus and lightness you need to achieve your goals at the highest level possible.
3) Relaxation/imagination exercise – [additional information is here about why this is important]
A) Spend 15 minutes today in a relaxed – super relaxed and comfortable chair or position. Get your mind to be as empty as possible…using deep breathing as your tool.
► Deep diaphragmatic breathing is what you want. Filling your diaphragm as you to breathe in more oxygen will expand your stomach area; so with hand on tummy you should be able to tell instantly whether your breathing is deep enough. If your stomach expands (pushes out against your hand) you’re good, if your chest expands and/or your shoulder rises, you’re breathing shallow and will not gain the relaxing benefits of deep breathing
► Visualize your muscle groups from bottom to top, tightening and releasing a few times and then relaxing into a calm stillness.
B) In this relaxed position, after a few minutes of controlled deep breathing, sit peacefully for as long as you can up to about 15 minutes.
C) Then immediately following this relaxations session, venture into some imagination playtime.
► Allow your imagination to visualize your optimistic state of mind working for you as you see yourself producing more of what you intend to produce more of each day on this journey…writing, helping, sales, studying, researching, coaching, speaking, building, bonding…whatever your goal is, imagine your optimistic self in a state of blissful productivity. Keep this ‘movie’ in your mind going, filling in all the details you can inject and keeping it inspired, light and entertaining. See yourself taking the actual steps needed to achieve the specific daily goal you have for today. See yourself taking these steps again and again. Pause the movie a few times and insert a few deep breaths to be sure you remain relaxed.
► DAILY— add some scenes to your personal movie based on the specific message or suggested activity of the day.
Wishing you an abundance of sweet passion and deep joy,
♥~
P.S. This message is a part of the 21 Days of Action & Accountability – a free event. Day 1 was Thursday May 19th and previous preparation exercises can be found here.
Creating Habits that Help the World…
The last 5 days have been very challenging. I didn’t loose focus but it seemed as soon as I committed to this 21 Day process other issues required priority attention. Last week, what I thought was a 2 hours problem turned into 4 days. I even missed an appointment with my accountability partner. A dose of Julette Millien advice about daily forgiveness is in order…On a brighter note I spent my 15 mins of relaxation walking in my backyard soaking in the chirping birds and breathing (diaphragmatic of course) the cool clean air – what a blessing that was!!