Periodically on this blog, I’ll share a journaling prompt designed to help you dig through the mental matter bouncing around your head. Not all of these exercises may seem applicable, but chances are good they will.
I’ll repeat the following introduction before each exercise, because there may be people joining the process at different points of the process.
INTRO: Journaling is a way to engage the subconscious mind and to allow your inner wisdom to float to the surface of your awareness. By spending just FIFTEEN minutes per day in quiet reflection with yourself, you will be able to uncover your gifts, motivations and opportunities to develop.
Give yourself a week to really get the hang of it. Spend some time learning about your best time for this “inner conference.” Some of us are morning people. Some of us like to write things out right before going to sleep for the evening. Others may look forward to a midday appointment with our own soul. Your journey is YOURS.
You’ll need the following supplies: pen/pencil, paper or notebook, relaxing instrumental background music (e.g. classical or ambient — NO lyrics), tea/water/wine and a timer. OPTIONAL: essential oil (Roman chamomile, lavender or Mandarin Orange are good for focus). Set your timer for 15 minutes and begin.
“Oh, you can’t get out backwards.
You’ve got to go forward to go back.”—Willy Wonka
When I was a kid, one of the things that you wanted to avoid at all costs was to be accused of doing something “bassackwards,” which was a term my grandmother used to mean slipshod or backwards in a pejorative way. We grandkids were taught logical, linear methods for problem solving and being backwards was seen as being inefficient at best and stubborn at worst.
That being said, as I’ve grown, there have been many times in my life where doing things backwards has actually saved me time in the long run and helped me to stand out in a good way. There are at least three reasons I recommend occasionally operating in the reverse and here they are:
1. Establishing or revealing options.
As Stephen Covey says, “Begin with the end in mind.”
Whether determining a marketing plan, your destination on a map or making a cake from scratch, having a concept of what it is you mean to achieve as an end result before beginning helps you to get there. What are the elements or ingredients needed in order to get where you want to be? How do you envision the finished result? P.S. The shiny term for this approach is called reverse engineering.
NOTE: Keep in mind that sometimes the trip you take is not the trip you plan (kismet and the interplay of others within your path may alter your original vision). Thinking backwards in this manner helps you to flip your perspective.
2. Strengthening or identifying muscles which may have gone unnoticed.
When I want to expand the results from a traditional workout, I simply reverse the order in which I do my regular routine. Have you ever walked up a flight of stairs backwards? Give it a shot. You’ll work the hamstrings more instead of your quadriceps. The glutes will engage in a different sequence in order to propel you upwards. Your abdominals will work harder to keep you upright.
You’ll move more slowly and be more mindful of your ascent. Having this awareness will make you a stronger person and help you to navigate more quickly when you revert to going up the stairs “the right way.”
3. Being goofy.
One of my favorite lines from the movie Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is, “A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men.”
Folks who follow me on social media will notice that I reference one of my favorite comic strips, Calvin and Hobbes on occasion. One of their favorite pursuits is a nonsense game called Calvinball, a no-holds-barred-anything-goes game whose only rule is that there are none. Another Calvin invention is Opposite Day, which is the sort of day that the name implies. Up is down, left is right, black is white …opposites abound in the world of Calvin and Hobbes on this day.
Calvin and Hobbes creator Bill Watterson is in good company with his celebration of chaos as a foundational element of creation. Fellow artist Theodore Geisel (Dr. Seuss) was also a big proponent of nonsense, saying, “I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living—it’s a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope. Which is what I do, and that enables you to laugh at life’s realities.”
Being backward allows for opportunities to reveal themselves.
Try it sometime.
JOURNALING PROMPTS
1. When are times in your life when you’ve done something backward?
2. How did you benefit from the experience?
3. What are some lessons that would have gone unlearned?
P.S. Every Sunday, I publish a free weekly newsletter called the 3 Minute Reset, which includes life lessons, life hacks and treats. To subscribe, click here.
