Reset: A 30-Day Self-Guided Journal

Next, complete the three prompts below. Write at least two sentences for each prompt. If you finish quickly, add one detail that shows what you mean. For example, instead of “I’m stressed,” you might write, “I’m stressed because I’ve been answering messages late at night and haven’t had quiet time.”

Your Turn

What am I feeling right now, and where do I notice it in my body? ________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________

What happened today - or recently - that may be connected to this feeling? ________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________

What would make the next few hours feel 5% easier? ________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________

When you finish, underline one feeling word you used. On the next line, write what that feeling may be asking you to notice. Keep the answer practical: rest, space, reassurance, food, movement, connection, clarity, or something else.

My feeling may be asking me to notice: ______________________________

My small response could be: _______________________________________

Complete this check-in for Days 1 and 2. On Day 3, look for a pattern rather than a new answer. Read your previous two entries, then circle any feeling word that appears more than once. If no word repeats, circle the feeling that seems most important today.

Day 3 Pattern Check

A feeling I’ve noticed more than once, or that feels important today: _______________________________________________________________

It tends to show up when: ________________________________________

A sign I notice in my body, thoughts, or behavior is: _______________________________________________________________

One thing I want to remember when it appears: _______________________________________________________________

Give yourself 10 minutes to complete this page. You’re done when you’ve named one recurring or important feeling, identified one situation connected to it, and written one kind, realistic response. You don’t need to solve the feeling. Naming it clearly is useful work.

Days 4 through 6 help you notice your needs and values underneath the daily noise. A need is something that supports your well-being, such as rest, safety, belonging, quiet, play, structure, or honest communication. A value is something you want your choices to reflect, such as kindness, freedom, creativity, health, family, learning, or fairness.

Day 4: Notice a Need

Choose one recent moment when you felt irritated, drained, restless, or low. Describe the moment in three short parts.

What happened? __________________________________________________

What did I feel? __________________________________________________

What might I have needed? ________________________________________

Now choose one need from your answer and complete this sentence:

A small way I could respect this need within the next 24 hours is: __________________________________________________________________

To complete Day 4, write one specific action that takes 15 minutes or less. “Take better care of myself” doesn’t count yet. “Put my phone away during lunch” or “drink water before my next coffee” is specific enough. Check the box when you’ve written the action, then return later to mark whether you tried it.

□ I wrote one need and one action that takes 15 minutes or less.

Day 5: Notice What Matters

Look at the list of values below and circle three that feel important to you right now:

calm · courage · creativity · family · freedom · friendship · health · honesty · learning · play · reliability · security · simplicity · connection · growth

Choose one of the three. Then answer each prompt in one or two sentences.

The value I’m focusing on is: ______________________________________

A recent choice that reflected this value was: __________________________________________________________________

A recent choice that didn’t reflect this value was: __________________________________________________________________

One small choice I could make this week to reflect it more clearly is: __________________________________________________________________

You’re finished with Day 5 when you’ve circled three values, explored one recent example, and written one small choice. Notice the wording: small choice. This is not the place to redesign your whole life before dinner. You’re simply identifying what deserves more room.

Day 6: Gather Your Starting Point

Today, read your Days 1-5 entries. Set a timer for 15 minutes so rereading doesn’t turn into an accidental afternoon excavation. On a fresh page, complete the summary below using short phrases.

The feeling I noticed most often was: ______________________________

The situation connected to it was: _________________________________

A need that deserves attention is: _________________________________

A value I want my choices to reflect is: ____________________________

Something already helping me is: __________________________________

Something making things harder is: ________________________________

Now choose one sentence that feels most important from your summary. Copy it below. Then write what you want to understand better during the next part of your reset.

The sentence I want to remember is: __________________________________________________________________

I want to understand: __________________________________________________________________

Finish Day 6 by completing this statement without editing yourself:

Right now, I’m starting from ____________________________________, and I’m ready to notice ____________________________________.

Read the sentence once. If it feels accurate enough, place a check beside it. Accuracy matters more than sounding positive.

□ I named my current emotional starting point. □ I identified one need. □ I identified one value. □ I wrote what I want to understand better.

The Changes You Hope to Make

Once you can see your starting point, you can describe the direction you want to move. Keep this part grounded. A useful change is clear enough to recognize in real life. “Be happier” may be meaningful, but it needs a little help before it can guide your next choice.

Choose one area that came up in your first six days. It might be your energy, attention, relationships, confidence, rest, work, or daily environment. Pick the area that feels both important and possible to observe. You’re not promising a total transformation. You’re naming what you hope will feel different.

Your Turn: Name the Change

The area I want to understand or improve is: __________________________________________________________________

Right now, this area looks like: ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________

I hope it will look or feel more like: ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________

I’ll know something is changing when I notice: ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________

Write at least two signs you could actually observe. For example, “I leave work with enough energy to make dinner twice a week” is observable. “I feel like a better person” is too broad for now. It can stay as a hope, but give it a visible sign.

Sign one: ________________________________________________________

Sign two: ________________________________________________________

Sign three, if useful: ____________________________________________

Next, separate the change you want from the reason it matters. This keeps your goal connected to your values instead of turning it into another demand.

Reflect

The change I hope to make is: ______________________________________

It matters to me because: _______________________________________ ________________________________________________________________

The value connected to this change is: ______________________________

If this change supported that value, my day might include more: __________________________________________________________________

And less: ________________________________________________________

Give yourself 10 minutes for this exercise. You’re done when you’ve named one change, written why it matters, connected it to one value, and listed one thing you hope to have more of and less of. Keep your answers honest. “More quiet, less rushing” may be exactly the useful information you need.

Now choose a beginning point. Not the biggest problem. Not the change that sounds most impressive. Choose the part you can observe without needing five other things to change first.

Apply It: Choose Your Starting Focus

From my notes, the change that deserves my attention first is: __________________________________________________________________

I’m choosing it because: ___________________________________________

For the next six days, I will notice: _________________________________

I will record this by writing one sentence after: __________________________________________________________________

My reminder will be: ______________________________________________

Place a check beside the reminder you’ll use:

□ Journal page □ Phone reminder □ Calendar note □ Sticky note □ Other: __________________________

Your reminder is there to help you notice, not to pressure you. When the reminder appears, write one sentence. That’s the whole requirement. If you have more to say, keep going. If you don’t, one honest sentence is enough.

Before you close these pages, complete the final check-in:

At the beginning of this reset, I expected to find: __________________________________________________________________

What I actually notice is: __________________________________________________________________

One thing I’m willing to learn about myself is: __________________________________________________________________

□ I wrote one honest sentence for each prompt.

You now have a clear starting point: the feelings showing up, the needs beneath them, the values you want to honor, and the change you hope to make. Nothing has to be perfect before you continue. You’ve already done the first important thing - you’ve paid attention.

End of chapter one. 4 more chapters in the full book.