Do you want to reconnect with your joy?

According to how my clients describe their lives at the start of our sessions, here’s a brief summary: routine, routine, routine, and occasionally some special event that excites me or simply takes me out of the monotony. Is this your case? If so, this post is for you. Today, I’m going to talk about how to rediscover that feeling of excitement—a spark that suddenly emerges and makes us shine again.

First, let’s remember the “automatic pilot” (if you haven’t read it, I invite you to do so on this link to my blog). We tend to do things the same way over and over again to make them easier each time—that’s how our brain works to save energy. But the truth is that doing the same thing repeatedly leads to boredom and disconnection. When we’re bored, we feel dissatisfied, which means our emotions become more negative than positive.

For example, it’s clear we need to go to work every day, but if you’re living “Groundhog Day,” my question is: when did it start becoming Groundhog Day? Perhaps when you first started this job, your attention was at its peak because you needed to learn new things. The next question is: what are you learning now?

Our natural curiosity and disposition to explore new things begin to fade when adult responsibilities start to weigh in on our lives. A child is always exploring, learning new things, accumulating different experiences. What type of experiences are you accumulating now in your current situation? Responsibilities are important, but being responsible doesn’t mean letting the days slip by, all the same.

To rekindle your excitement, you need to start by becoming aware of the areas of your life where you live “Groundhog Day”—where things have become automatic, without attention, motivation… Is it work, your partner, your family? You may not even realize that your day is yours. So, if you want a change to happen, it has to start with you. The world sometimes changes suddenly, but the probability of success is much higher if you decide to activate the change yourself. For example, if monotony has settled into your relationship, waiting for the other person to change may never happen.

So, let’s get started. How do I start activating change? Changing means doing things differently, but it also involves starting to see things differently to experience them in a new way.

1. Decide what you want to rekindle your excitement about.

2. Choose a daily routine of just 2 minutes, but it must be at the same time every day: right after waking up or before going to bed are typically the moments when we have the most peace.

3. Set an alarm on your phone to count those two minutes so you’re not constantly checking the time. The idea is to be totally focused on rediscovering your excitement. During those two minutes, close your eyes and visualize yourself in the situation you want to return to or the one you want to achieve. Live it as if it were real, with all the possible details. Investigate what you’re doing to feel so good… The goal is to experience that situation in your brain as if it were real. Feel the emotions you’re feeling in that moment. What are you doing differently? What are you learning? Can you notice if a smile escapes you?

4. Repeat the same exercise every day for at least three weeks in a row. If you skip a day, start counting from zero again.

Our daily life doesn’t give us much time or many clues on where to start, but our mind is a treasure that allows us to experience and explore many things in just an instant. The power of visualization is our best ally when it comes to focusing on something we want to achieve, exploring any situation, sensation, etc. I invite you to try. Just two minutes for three weeks… I bet you’ll start doing something different without putting too much effort into it, even if it’s just a small change. If it works for you, keep doing it. The power of our mind is truly marvelous. Give it a try and let me know.

Image by Freepik

Melinda Sánchez Coach

www.melindasanchezcoach.com