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.

“Entrepreneurs have a natural inclination to go it alone. While this do-it-yourself spirit can help you move forward, adding an element of collaboration into the mix can make you unstoppable.” — Leah Busque

Are you able to discern when you are in the middle of overcoming challenges? Do you know how to detect strength or capacity building as it is happening? Defining the contrast between where you’ve been and when you’ve learned?

It’s sometimes difficult to determine these boundaries and thresholds, especially if you are an entrepreneur or just starting out on a figurative journey. Lone wolf syndrome can be both boon and bane. There’s an African saying, paraphrased that goes, “If you wish to go somewhere fast, go alone; if you wish to go far, travel together.”

The problem, by way of both utility and reality is that for many of us, traveling alone is faster at first when we are striking off into the unknown. It’s easier in some ways, because we are guided by our vision. Naysayers (well-intentioned and otherwise), can be like drag trunks on Michael Phelps—they’re dead weight.

When we don’t have to factor the opinions of others, decisions can be surgical: yes to this; no to that. No one to consult. A good thing, right? Maybe. …and maybe not.

The “bane” or difficulty of the lone wolf approach is not having a benchmark from which to measure. Moreover, knowing what to measure is also a challenge in and of itself. That’s where, eventually, smart people seek to incorporate the wisdom of others who have successfully navigated the path they themselves hope to travel.

Someone to consult. Collaborators. Mentors. Mirrors.

As an example: for the parents who may be reading this, when your children were toddlers, you’re probably familiar with the meltdown. These were random temper tantrums that descended at any time, for any (or no apparent) reason. Bewildered, you would fumble around to check for anything that could be causing pain or distress in an effort to soothe your child. Car seat poking? Hungry? Messy diaper? Tired?
Once you figured it out, you handled it and moved on. Years later, while strolling down an aisle at the grocers you would overhear the tell-tale sound of a cranky toddler. “Ah ha!” thinking to yourself. “Someone needs a nap. That kid is five minutes away from a meltdown.”

Without realizing it, you had assimilated the challenge of parenting, absorbed the lesson, adapted and moved on.

From a life path perspective, are there any “meltdowns” currently happening in your experience? Some of the symptoms may be cash flow problems, relationship issues, time management skills…any number of things. The key is to learn how to identify whatever issue is causing you the most stress.

Once named, you can begin to deconstruct it and reach out to the network you’ve established to help keep you moving forward. This is where the “traveling together” comes back into play. To begin, ask yourself any or all of the following:

• What about my current experience is overwhelming me?
• What are the tasks I put off or procrastinate in completing?
• Where are my bottlenecks in the process?
• Who do I know and trust who has overcome this challenge?
• What would I need to do or change in order to meet this challenge?

These are pain points that, once attended and resolved, are going to make you a more independent and successful person. Detecting the challenge while in the midst of it is difficult at best. Most of the time, we are spending so much time with our heads down, blinders on, full throttle in an effort to overcome our challenges that we don’t stop to determine how to resolve them.

If you find that you are spinning your wheels or coming back to face the same challenge repeatedly, take the hint. Take some time and focus on a few things:

1. Where you’ve been.
2. Where you are.
3. Where you want to be.

Write it down. Take a breath. Use a combination of the wisdom you’ve gained with the input from your network and begin again.

You’ll get there.

JOURNALING PROMPTS
1. What is a challenge you successfully overcame?
2. How did you solve it?
3. Were you able to help someone else?
4. How did you pay it forward?

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.