What Works for You?

Something I know works for me–whether I do it or not is another thing–is journaling. When I say “works,” I mean it pulls at the end of a ball of yarn in my head, creating more space for what and who matters. It’s not as cluttered in there, as tight, as inauthentic.

I used to live a very structured life. But I found that it didn’t allow for a lot of questioning, evaluating, or trust. It did look really good though…on social media, in client meetings. And it felt good to say to clients:

“I’m up at 5 am for prayer and meditation, then I journal and I get connected to my community.”

“Every day?” they’d ask.

“Yup, every day.”

Meanwhile, I was withering away bit by bit. That connection to my own sense of self was fading, and it had grave consequences, which you can learn about here (20 minutes).

When I received the audience question for our Who’s Missing? “Ask Us Anything” segment this month (19 minutes):

“I hate where I live: Los Angeles. How can I be truthful about my circumstances without being defeatist?”

I answered it the same way for this brave soul as I do for myself: What works for you? What are your foundational principles and activities…that work. For you. Full stop.

Because that’s the harder question to answer–and it’s not your fault. We are wired to focus on what doesn’t work. In fact, to switch to what works takes a lot of practice.

(And don’t even get me started on the systematic -isms that make answering that question even harder: consumerism, capitalism, racism, sexism, ableism, and so on.)

If you’d like to explore what works for you, but you’re not sure where to start, start with your values. Read Dare to Lead by Brené Brown. From there, you’ll learn a lot about what fuel you need to thrive as the human being you are.