Recalibration

4 Daily Steps to Recalibrate Your Life Story

Stories have the ability to help us learn about ourselves and others. Stories teach us empathy and to feel something. Stories help us find understanding of people themselves, as well as their situations/circumstances.

Imagine a world where everyday we got to wake up and start our story again.Literally begin anew, clean slate. What if I told you, you could. There is literally nothing stopping you. You can do it now. We all are storytellers and each day we have the choice to begin with a blank page. We have the responsibility of holding that pen, to write our own story. So how are you writing yours? How will you continue to write yours with each new day?

Quote: “Everyone has a story and there’s something to be learned from every experience.” — Oprah Winfrey

I am a director, an author, a healer, a mother and a friend. But to pick one word, I am a storyteller. This one role encompasses all of my many “hats”, as in every aspect I am encouraged to listen to stories, tell stories or be part of a story.

No matter my role, I always begin my story each day with the same FOUR STEPS:

STEP 1. Title:

What is my title right now? Is it “An Enchanting Day” or “The Meeting from Hell” or perhaps “The Moody Teenager”? The title represents my current state/day’s agenda.

STEP 2. First Page:

Every good story starts with a character, so I begin my daily first page with writing my character description. We are all our story’s main character, but each new day brings a slightly different character. Like many, our character may be flawed, having experienced life in a certain way. They have feelings, physical and mental elements that make them unique to the story. Once that character is fleshed out, understood and accepted, then other players enter the story. These could be people, places and/or animals, depending on the day. The first page is building a picture. With the title and first page done, now I jump immediately to the end of my daily story…

STEP 3. The End:

How do I want the day’s story to end? “And they all went for ice-cream” or “They all gave each other a hug”? “They sat cuddled up on the sofa watching their favorite TV show” or “She got the job!”?

STEP 4. The Middle:

Once my beginning is set and my preferred ending is imagined, I focus on the middle of the story. This is where we have the most control. This stage is dictated by our choices, as well as outside influences. The next page can drastically change depending on the choices that we make right here and now. We are writing our story as we go, therefore we have the power to stop and rewrite. We have the power to take our story down a different path, a different chapter.

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ASSIGNMENT:

Capitalize your time today by embracing your new blank page with Steps 1–4.

1. The Title

2. The First Page

3. The End

4. The Middle

Begin the day writing out Steps 1–3 to focus your day’s actions and intentions.

Then go about your day with The End goal in mind. Jot down notes of how The Middle transpires as the day goes on. Be sure to do check-ins with yourself throughout the day, to notate your current state. Did you pivot to get closer to your goal? Did an outside force divert you in another direction entirely?

At the end of the day, evaluate your notes. Did your end match your preferred ending? Was it worse? Better? Take the time to acknowledge your day’s story. Be conscious of the result from the choices of today, as well as any outside influences that you had no control over. If it was not how you planned, or worse than imagined, take a breath. Days often turn out different than we plan. Tomorrow is a new day, a new blank page. Start each new day with this exercise to try to consciously write the overarching story book that you’d like your life to tell.

TIPS — Internal thoughts to practically write your daily story:

• Is it about thinking before you open your mouth? Stopping, pausing, and thinking, because every word is so precious with the ability to carry an immense amount of weight.

• Is it about deciding what you’re physically going to do today? Think of what those choices would then lead you to as the day progresses.

• Is it about how you treat yourself today? The food you introduce, the activities you do, and the thoughts you let dictate your emotions all have the power to redirect your story.

• How do you want your story to evolve right now? Try to make the choices that will lead you towards the ending you desire. Each day has its own ending, but remember, these are part of an entire book of your life. Each page, each chapter, has an overarching beginning, middle and end.

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Turning this way of thinking into a habit, creating a daily check in, will help you realign and refocus your story regularly. Remember that making something a habit takes time, but this is an important one to make. If you forget, simply start again. Don’t give up on being the present author of your story.

When working on your story, remember to recognise and acknowledge your previous pages because they are relevant to your current state. Everything you’ve experienced and gone through is important to mentally catalogue, as it got you to your current blank page.

Above all, it’s important to do things that work for you. Acknowledge how you feel once you start this process. Does it make a difference? Do you become more accountable for your own actions? How does this change you as an individual? As a member of society?

It might feel slightly overwhelming or scary to visualise your blank page, but it can also be exciting. Try to focus on possibilities and less on limitations. Ask for help writing your story if you feel overwhelmed. The goal is to have fun, gaining control back of the story that we will all inevitably leave behind us on this Earth. Try to become mentally aware of your story as you write it, as stories have the ability to change how we think, how we understand the world, and can be a powerful tool to bring us all together.