Perry Maddox shares his daily gratitude practice and explores how simple rituals fuel your daily growth as a leader.
I love a good notebook.
For all the convenience of a laptop or a phone, give me a notebook.
I love the freedom of an open page, rather than a word processor, in front of me. I love the feel of a pen pressing down into paper. If I’m going to put feeling into my writing, I want to feel what I’m writing.
Given my love of a good notebook, it was little surprise that I started a new journal after inspiration from Lily Mackow-McGuire.
The big surprise was what a difference it made.
Big Benefits from a Small Practice.
In just a couple minutes daily, a journal can be a leader’s best friend.
After all, journaling has been shown to help people manage anxiety and reduce stress, even cope with depression. The cognitive benefits range from boosting your mood to improving your working memory to enhancing your well-being. Simply put, it’s a lovely practice to support your mental health.
With all the stress we carry as leaders, tending to our mental health is critical.
But this isn’t only a restorative process. Correctly done, journaling will make you a better leader.
We’re talking daily growth.
Three Magic Words for Daily Growth.
There are plenty of ways to journal.
Here’s what works for me.
Each evening I take a few minutes to journal. I start by writing three words: joy, gratitude and affirmation. Reflecting on each word in turn, I write down one thing from my day alongside each of the 3 prompts.
The content varies, but I recognise three things daily in my life and leadership:
- Joy. I start with a moment from my day that brought a smile to my face or that inspired me. Yesterday I wrote about spending 5 minutes in bed with our boys as we woke up, flopping around in bed, laughing and hugging. Other days I write about something awesome that happened in work. Or a great bite of food I enjoyed. Scanning back through my day, I relive and reflect on at least one moment of joy.
- Gratitude. Then I give thanks for at least one part of my day. For the people and blessings in my life. The other night, I wrote about having a roof over my head. Many days, I reflect on my gratitude for the young leaders who teach me and inspire me every day.
- Affirmation. Finally, I reflect on something that I did well during the day. Often, I focus on the little habits I’m trying to build, like getting out of bed early to do my yoga and morning reflection before the kids bust in. Sometimes, it’s recognising when I practice a habit I’m trying to improve at work, like trying to listen first in meetings.
No matter how big or how small, I reflect on three things at the end of every day.
Just before I go to bed, I give myself a pat on the back for something I did well, I celebrate something joyful in my life, and I say thanks.
And a couple months in now, it’s making a big difference.
Daily Growth Adds Up to Lasting Change.
It’s easy as leaders to get overwhelmed by the problems we face.
We have plenty to solve in a day. But when we let those problems define us, take over our days, or overrun our thoughts, it’s easy to get into trouble and to lose sight of what matters.
When we step back and claim agency over our problems, we are not only more likely to survive them. We’re also more likely to thrive, turning challenges into opportunities and into growth. That little mental switch, of taking trouble and recasting it as a chance for change, lies at the heart of leadership.
We just have to remember to flip the switch.
Conditioning myself to see the positive in every one of my days – no matter how hard the day was – builds the muscle memory of finding joy, gratitude and affirmation in any situation. It reminds me to look for the positive. And that in turn helps me to see solutions and opportunities in every situation and in myself.
That’s the daily growth I gain from a few minutes of journaling.
So go sharpen a pencil. What are you waiting for?
