Why Study This Mantra...

You will learn to center your focus around one big thing. This rally cry will leave you laser-focused and feeling more clarity than ever. 

Introduction 

This month’s mantra is meant to clarify your efforts around one singular goal, one that you will design specifically for you.

Richard Strozzi-Heckler might call this your 'declaration.' Simon Sinek might call it your 'why.' Whatever you call it, having a single focus that you dedicate yourself to day-in and day-out, that guides you and drives you, is clarifying. Its value stretches into all of your other dealings and interactions in your life. There is a change in your energy. Your inspiration. When you have a focus, people notice. In short, it gives your life purpose.

This month, you will decide what your focus should be, and you will begin to center around it.

Just as you will commit to your declaration, this is also an opportunity for you to commit to this program. As Andrew Carnegie said, “If you want to be happy, set a goal that commands your thoughts, liberates your energy and inspires your hopes.”

 

Before you begin...

Before you start these practices and challenges, take a moment to rate yourself on this mantra. Give yourself a score from 1-10 (10 being the highest). 

Do this again at the end of a month of practices and challenges. How much have you grown?

 

The Practices

Daily Practice

Exercise

Today's affirmation: "I am a commitment to __________."

As I put on this mantra this morning, I will state my declaration. Each time I look at my mantra, I will remind myself of what my declaration is by speaking it out loud or just in my head. As I do, I will be present in the moment, ensuring I really feel the weight of the commitment.
My goal will be to state it at least 5 times today.

 

Monthly Challenge

Deciding Your Declaration of Focus

How will you fill in the blank on your daily affirmation this month? What are you a commitment to? You can use your journal to step through this process.

Start by asking yourself what and who is important to you and why. How do you want to live your life? And so on. These prompts are all designed to help you navigate your way to a focus. If your focus doesn't immediately jump out to you, keep going. Ask yourself how you want to evolve in the next 6-12 months, and then the following 2-5 years. What personal transformations come to mind? And so on.

The final output here should be one single focus, the one that resonates most strongly for you above all others. This thing shouldn't be easy to achieve – it should stretch you. You should feel like you only have a 70% chance of achieving it.

Take your time with this. Be with yourself and meditate on it. It's important you land on something that resonates in your heart. Something that is honest and genuine. Something that, if achieved, would make you truly happy. Something you can center your entire mental focus around day-in and day-out for months without tiring of it.

Once you've distilled it down, express it as "I am a commitment to __________."
Now how will you measure success?

Journaling Practice

Proudest Moments

I will get out my journal and write down my proudest moment(s). I will revisit this in later months.

I will think of 2-4 of my proudest moments in my entire life. What about these moments made me so proud? Did I overcome a personal obstacle or speak up for myself? Did I work incredibly hard, or create something with my hands, or venture outside my comfort zone? What skills did I employ during this moment? Are my current goals helping me feel this same pride once again?

The Reasoning

For a definitive look at this month's mantras and practices, including what philosophers, theologians, psychologists, and scientists throughout history have thought, taught, and advocated, click below.