How to get your life back on track: The Reset Method
Summary
TLDRThe video encourages viewers to reflect on their progress and reset goals for the second half of the year using a journaling exercise with 11 steps. It begins with clearing the mind by writing down all thoughts, then reviewing past goals, assessing achievements and setbacks, and setting new priorities. Emphasis is placed on understanding why some goals were missed, creating a structured plan, building discipline, and developing self-worth. The presenter advises focusing on actionable steps, developing strong systems, and maintaining motivation when challenges arise. The video aims to help viewers recalibrate their lives, stay disciplined, and achieve personal growth.
Takeaways
- 📝 The first step to recalibrating your life is emptying your head by writing down all your thoughts to clear mental space.
- 📅 Review your goals from the start of the year, even if you didn't set any concrete ones, and reflect on what you initially wanted to achieve.
- ⚖️ Write down what you've actually accomplished in the first half of the year, noting any unexpected events that may have impacted your progress.
- 🔍 Assess why you achieved certain goals and missed others, identifying obstacles, system inefficiencies, or changing priorities.
- 🌟 Dream big for the second half of the year by listing ideal goals, focusing on things within your control, and explaining why you want them.
- 📊 Order your goals by importance so you know where to prioritize your efforts, especially when time is limited or life gets unpredictable.
- 👤 Reflect on who you need to become in order to achieve your goals and redefine your identity accordingly, using empowering language.
- 🛠 Create a system or routine that makes it easier to hit your goals, designing it for when you're at your weakest, not your strongest.
- 🎯 Prepare for tough times by setting accountability methods or temptation bundling to stay on track when things get difficult.
- 💪 Write down why you deserve this improvement, focusing on self-worth, and taking the perspective of a supportive friend if needed.
Q & A
What is the main purpose of the journaling exercise described in the script?
-The journaling exercise is designed to help individuals recalibrate their goals and priorities, especially if they feel off track. It's intended to provide a reset and allow people to assess their progress, refocus their efforts, and finish the year strong.
Why is 'emptying your head' considered the first step in the journaling process?
-Emptying your head is crucial because it clears mental clutter, allowing for better focus and processing. Writing down thoughts creates space in the mind, making overwhelming ideas less intimidating and easier to deal with when viewed on paper.
What is the purpose of dividing the journal page into two columns in step two?
-Dividing the page into two columns helps track progress by comparing original goals from the start of the year with actual outcomes. This visual comparison allows individuals to see how far they've come and where they might need improvement.
How does the script suggest handling missed goals or unfinished tasks?
-The script emphasizes that missing goals is normal and suggests analyzing why they were missed without feeling shame. It encourages recognizing that unpredictable events may arise, systems might be inadequate, or priorities could have changed.
Why does the journaling exercise recommend writing down the ideal scenario for the second half of the year?
-Writing down the ideal scenario allows individuals to dream big and focus on the best possible outcomes. It serves as a motivator by imagining success while ensuring that the goals are things they can directly control.
What does step six of the exercise involve, and why is it important?
-Step six involves ordering the goals in terms of importance to create a hierarchy. This helps individuals focus on the most meaningful goals first, ensuring they prioritize their efforts even if time becomes limited.
Why does the script emphasize identity in step seven of the exercise?
-Identity is crucial because people tend to act in alignment with how they perceive themselves. By redefining one's identity to match the goals, it becomes easier to achieve them as actions become congruent with who they believe they are.
What does the quote 'you do not rise to the level of your goals; you fall to the level of your systems' mean in the context of step eight?
-The quote means that success is not solely about setting lofty goals but about having practical systems in place to achieve them. The right systems help individuals work consistently towards their goals, even when motivation is low.
How does the script suggest individuals stick to their goals when things get tough?
-It suggests using accountability partners, setting up systems that work during difficult times, and employing strategies like temptation bundling or external pressures to stay motivated. The focus is on creating sustainable habits.
Why is answering the question 'why do you deserve this improvement' important?
-This question is critical because it addresses self-worth. Believing that one deserves improvement is essential for long-term motivation and success. The exercise encourages individuals to push past negative self-talk and affirm their value.
Outlines
📝 Halfway Through the Year: Time for a Reset
The video starts by noting that the first half of 2021 has passed, which may make people feel anxious about their progress on yearly goals. The speaker shares how they feel like they have only accomplished 20% of their goals and emphasizes the common fear of not achieving enough. They introduce a journaling exercise to help recalibrate life and get back on track in the second half of the year. This exercise is recommended as a reset, and the speaker reminds viewers that it can be done at any point in life, not just mid-year.
🖋️ Step 1: Empty Your Mind Onto Paper
The first step of the journaling exercise involves writing down all thoughts cluttering the mind onto a blank page. The speaker highlights that the process helps clear mental space, making it easier to process thoughts. Writing things down often reveals how trivial they are compared to how they feel in the mind. The recommendation is to write at least three pages of unfiltered thoughts.
🎯 Step 2: Review Your Goals from the Beginning of the Year
In the second step, the speaker advises dividing a page into two columns: the left for goals set six months ago and the right for actual achievements. They suggest reflecting on why some goals were not set or completed without self-judgment. The speaker also shares their own goals, like producing 52 videos and finishing a book, while admitting to falling short on some.
📊 Step 3: Compare What You Did vs. Your Original Goals
The next step is comparing the goals you set with what you’ve actually accomplished. The speaker explains how unpredictable life events, like a family emergency, can affect progress and emphasizes that comparing these lists helps recognize that life is unpredictable and messy.
🤔 Step 4: Analyze Why You Achieved Some Goals but Not Others
In step four, the speaker suggests journaling to explore why certain goals were met and others were not. They identify three main reasons for missed goals: unexpected events, poor systems, and changing priorities. Conversely, achieved goals were linked to personal care, discipline, and motivation.
💡 Step 5: Dream Big About the Second Half of the Year
This step encourages viewers to dream big and write down their ideal outcomes for the rest of the year. The speaker stresses focusing on things within one’s control and pairs each goal with a personal motive. They emphasize the importance of setting ambitious goals, as refinement will come later.
📈 Step 6: Rank Your Goals by Importance
Once you’ve written down your goals, the next task is to prioritize them. The speaker advises creating a hierarchy to ensure that time and effort are focused on the most important goals, providing a sense of direction if time becomes limited.
👤 Step 7: Define the Identity Needed to Achieve Your Goals
The speaker explains the importance of aligning goals with your identity in step seven. They suggest writing out who you need to become to accomplish your goals. For example, adopting the mindset of an artist or entrepreneur, as these identities help steer actions. While this may feel awkward or corny, it is an essential exercise.
🔧 Step 8: Build a System to Achieve Your Goals
Step eight emphasizes creating realistic systems and routines for achieving goals. The speaker cites James Clear’s principle: 'You fall to the level of your systems.' The speaker advises making systems that work even when you’re not at your best and breaking tasks into manageable habits.
💪 Step 9: Plan for When Things Get Tough
The ninth step focuses on accountability and perseverance during difficult times. The speaker shares strategies like using accountability partners or combining pleasurable activities with goal-related tasks. They stress that success depends on how well you can stick to your plan during tough times.
💖 Step 10: Acknowledge Why You Deserve Improvement
Step ten revolves around self-worth and convincing yourself that you deserve the positive changes you seek. The speaker encourages viewers to push past negative self-talk and fill a page with reasons why they deserve success. They suggest writing from the perspective of a supportive friend to shift perspective.
🚀 Step 11: Take Immediate Action
The final step is to take immediate action. The speaker highlights that inspiration opens a window of opportunity, but discipline is what keeps it going. They encourage viewers to act on their number one goal from step six, whether it’s journaling or taking a tangible step, like purchasing equipment for a new hobby.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Journaling exercise
💡Goals
💡Reset
💡Empty your head
💡System
💡Priorities
💡Accountability
💡Self-worth
💡Discipline
💡Inspiration
Highlights
The video discusses the halfway point of 2021, encouraging viewers to assess their progress and recalibrate goals for the second half of the year.
The journaling exercise presented in the video is designed to help recalibrate life goals and priorities, useful at any point of the year.
Step 1 of the journaling exercise is 'Empty Your Head,' where participants are encouraged to write down every thought onto a blank page to free up mental space.
The idea behind 'Empty Your Head' is to clear out mental clutter, allowing space for processing rather than holding onto excessive thoughts.
Step 2 is about revisiting the goals set at the start of the year, listing them out and reflecting on any progress or lack thereof.
In Step 3, participants are encouraged to write down what they actually accomplished in the first half of the year, to compare against the initial goals.
The journaling exercise emphasizes understanding that life is unpredictable, and missing goals can be due to unforeseen events, as seen in the personal story about the speaker's mom's accident.
Step 4 is an assessment of why certain goals were achieved and why others weren't, categorizing missed goals into reasons like unexpected events or suboptimal systems.
In Step 5, participants are encouraged to write down their ideal scenario for the second half of the year, focusing on things within their control.
Step 6 is about prioritizing the goals written in Step 5, creating a hierarchy to ensure the most important ones are prioritized when time is limited.
Step 7 focuses on identity, encouraging participants to consider who they need to be to achieve their goals, and to frame it in a positive, empowering way.
In Step 8, participants are guided to create systems to support their goals, designing routines or habits that work even on difficult days.
Step 9 addresses how to stay consistent with the plan during tough times, with suggestions like using accountability partners and temptation bundling.
Step 10 encourages participants to reflect on why they deserve improvement, highlighting self-worth and using supportive perspectives to fill a page with reasons.
Step 11 is about taking immediate action, starting with small, actionable steps that help build momentum towards the larger goals.
Transcripts
it is that time of year it's june 1st
which means the first half of 2021 is
done and now we are officially in the
second half
and if this doesn't freak you out then
you are doing pretty alright if you're
anything like me though you might be
thinking oh
god the year is 50 of the way through
and i'm only 20 of the way through my
goals which means i'm not good enough as
a person which means i'll never have the
life i want which means i'll die with
regrets and oh god it's all just too
much isn't it and if that freak out
about time passing sounds familiar then
you're watching the right video
friggin june so what i'm going to do
with this video is share a journaling
exercise that i'm using at the moment to
recalibrate my life
i'd recommend this if you're looking for
a bit of a reset if you want to reassess
your goals and priorities and get your
life back on track in the second half of
2021.
as always two quick disclaimers the
first of which is i'm doing this for the
second half of 2021 but this can be done
at any point in your life could be done
in 2045 unless of course the robots kill
us all and it could be done just
generally whenever you need a reset you
can just tailor the questions to
yourself you'll figure it out
you're clever the second disclaimer is
that this is just what's worked for me
i'm not an expert i'm just some dude
with a youtube channel so if it doesn't
work for you that doesn't mean there's
anything wrong with you it doesn't mean
that you're not going to get your life
back on track i'm sure you will because
you're freaking amazing look at y'all
seriously so this getting your life back
on track journaling exercise has 11
steps and you can either write them out
in your notebook or i've created a
worksheet which is on my website and
there'll be a link in the description so
you can follow that and do that
otherwise just write them out
cool ready let's go yeah
step one empty your head what i mean by
this
is vomiting every single thought that
you could ever have or are having onto a
blank
page something like this i am skeptical
that this technique will work
if you're skeptical that this technique
will work start there that can be your
first thought and just keep writing
until your head is emptied
onto the page now i recommend this for
this exercise but i also massively
recommend it when you start any
journaling session
and honestly if you can incorporate this
into your day-to-day life if you're like
me you'll see
massive improvements to your mental
health the reason that we're doing this
is to give our head a bit more space to
process
stuff because your head is a computer
that can process things not a storage
locker in which to keep excess thoughts
the page however is a terrific storage
system it's like a great cupboard for
head noise and what you'll find is that
some of your thoughts are going to find
it hard to exist in two places at once
and once they're down on the page
they'll look trivial when you can
actually see them
as opposed to feeling scary and vague
and terrifying in your head if you're
looking for a guide i recommend writing
at least three pages
step two bring up your goals from the
start of the year so for this you want
to divide that next page into two
columns and in the first column you
write the goals that you had six months
ago if you didn't set any just write
what you thought you wanted six months
ago and then maybe a little footnote as
to why you think you didn't set any
concrete goals you don't need to beat
yourself up here you might have just
been busy
mine were oh god
mine were to be flexible strong and
completely sober to make 52 videos that
actually help and impact people
to make an animated show and try sell it
to get married and to finish a big
secret project which was the book as you
do write these in you'll probably notice
that you've hit a few or partially hit a
few
and that you've also missed a few in my
case the goal that stands out is i
wanted to make 52 videos which means i
should have made 26 by now but i've only
made 10 by now so
whoops now it's also extremely likely
that if you did set goals in january
they were probably quite audacious and
lofty and that some of them have been
missed massively don't feel any shame
about this this is totally normal and it
just means that you're dreaming big
step three write down what you actually
did in the first half of the year so in
the left column we've got the goals we
set six months ago now on the right
column we're going to write down what
actually happened what we actually
did if you did hit any of those goals or
if something came in the way of those
goals try pair them up horizontally so
you can just compare them
for example 52 videos i'll say 10 videos
but for the book i'll say yeah i
actually finished that
that was pretty cool you might find that
you had some time dedicated to one
particular goal like for example the
animated pilot we wanted to make and
what took that time was a completely
different animated pilot that we made
for a network and that's so fine
and it's extremely likely that you'll
notice that there are things in that
right column that you just could not
have predicted
for example something in that right
column for me was and i won't go into
this in too much detail because it's a
bit personal but my mom got in a freak
mountain biking accident
a little while ago so me and felicity
flew to new zealand to go help her out
and just set up her house and to sort of
help her start her recovery the point
that i'm making here and the reason that
we're writing these down is just to
recognize that life is messy and
unpredictable and sometimes things just
happen that are totally out of our
control so with these two columns
written down
and the comparison's plain as day it's
time for step four step four
assess why you hit some goals and not
others you can journal on this any way
you want to i usually do a stream of
consciousness followed by a list and my
list boils down to these three reasons
for the goals i missed
one something urgent or unpredictable
came up and took the time
two my system to get things done was
sub-optimal or three my priorities
changed the reason that i hit goals
boils down to
i really cared about them and i put in
the time and effort too
i've been practicing way more discipline
this year and three the pain of not
doing it was greater than the pain of
doing it step five
write down your ideal second half of the
year and why you want it dream big
i seriously mean that do not compromise
as you write these down just do the
absolute ideal scenario everything goes
your way it's all good
but one caveat that i will put is make
sure that you focus on things you can
control for example yeah sure i'd love a
million subscribers by the end of the
year that'd be
freaking amazing but i can't control
that the only things i can control is
how many videos i make and what goes
into those videos so instead i'd say i
want to make 20 videos
then what you do is you pair it with a
motive a reason that you want this goal
so my reason might be i want to make all
those videos because it makes other
people
understand themselves better and that
makes me feel like i've done something
and i kind of respect myself a little
bit more
like i said dream big here and try to
get a big list and don't worry if it's
too big because that's what we're going
to refine now
step six order the goals in terms of
importance what we're trying to do here
is create a hierarchy of goals what is
the most important for us to hit and
then followed by the rest and the reason
that we're trying to do this is because
like i said time is super unpredictable
and if something does come up and you
can only hit one or two of those goals
then it's
so reassuring to know that you're
hitting the goals that you have defined
as the most important to you
think of it as insurance for your own
time to say that if you do get less time
you're at least spending it wisely so
now that you've ordered your goals it is
time for
step seven who would you have to be in
order to complete these
this section is about identity and about
questioning who you think you are and
the reason that we're doing this is
because you've probably heard of that
thing which is like people trying to
quit smoking if someone says
i'm trying to quit smoking they're much
more likely to keep smoking but if
somebody identifies as oh i'm not a
smoker they're way more likely to quit
smoking because it's linked to their
identity and humans by and large have a
very strong tendency to act in
accordance with who they say they
are so in this section you want to write
what you'd have to believe about
yourself in order to hit the goals
i'd recommend writing it down as an
identity like a noun like a person and
i'd recommend using really exciting
words which
ugh it's gonna feel corny it's gonna
feel super duper corny but
no one's watching you so just do it
trust me i'll go first and we can all
cringe
mine is artist athlete and entrepreneur
making the world a more compassionate
and wacky place
swipe up for ebook step 8 create a
system where you can realistically hit
these goals
by law all self-improvement youtube
videos have to include at least one
quote from james clear
mine is you do not rise to the level of
your goals you fall to the level of your
systems so therefore
make a good system haha i think what a
good system comes down to
is things like having a routine either a
daily or a weekly or a fortnightly
routine in order to get stuff done
or breaking things up into their smaller
tasks and then breaking those tasks into
habits
rules as well create good systems so if
you're trying to lose weight you might
say well i just don't buy junk food i
don't know who said it but it's that
thing about it's harder to eat one
dorito than zero doritos so don't bring
it into your house that would be a
system if your goal is to write a book
you might say every morning i wake up
and write one page a day that would also
be a system and it'll get stuff done
the thing that i think is most important
here is to make the systems
for when you're at your weakest not at
your strongest so it's really easy to
think that you will always have all the
energy perfect health and you'll just be
killing it it's those days where you
wake up at
friggin 4 30 a.m because you're a lion
who's gonna attack the day
those are anomalies make your system for
when things are a little bit tough
not super tough but just not easy and
then scale up from there on your good
days
otherwise you're just setting yourself
up for future guilt and shame of not
hitting it and you want things to be a
little bit easier at the start so you
can develop those habits
step 9 how will you stick to the plan
when things get tough things are
inevitably gonna suck
it's just what happens but in my opinion
success isn't determined by how well you
can operate when things are good i think
anybody can do good when things are good
it's how well you can stick to the plan
when things are really tricky my answers
to this question are i use
accountability partners where i
screenshot my to-do list sent
to a friend and then say this is what
i'm doing today and then my pathetic
desire to brag to my friend
kicks in and i need to complete that
list i've heard of people who
want to try wake up really early so what
they'll do is they'll schedule
a career ruining tweet to go out at 6
a.m so they know that they have to wake
up at like 5 50 in order to deschedule
it and once they've done that they're up
i do not play with fire like that and i
will not be doing that in my life but if
you like pressure and adrenaline from
the get
give it a shot i guess another one might
just be temptation bundling if you like
watching youtube and you want to develop
the habit of running
maybe you start to only watch videos
while you're on the treadmill step 10
why do you deserve this improvement this
is arguably the most important question
in the journaling exercise because it
relates to self-worth and if you are
somebody who struggles with self-worth
then i would recommend
so highly in answering this question and
pushing past all those negative voices
and trying to fill an
entire page with reasons if you're
struggling to come up with reasons a
cool thought experiment is to put
yourself in a very supportive friend's
shoes and right from their perspective
as to why you deserve these changes
once again if you're like me it will
feel unnatural but it is so
so important step 11 take the first step
right now sure we all know by now that
discipline is way better than
inspiration but i think inspiration
still has a purpose and that is to open
a window which is kind of gravity time
to shut at some point and videos like
this hopefully can open that window but
it's your job to go through that and
start the discipline chain
less metaphorically what i'm talking
about is taking actionable steps so one
of them might have been to literally
journal so if you haven't journaled if
you just watch this video like it's a
normal video which i assume most of you
did
i'd recommend literally starting to
journal and pushing past that thing that
wants to watch whatever the next video
is as tempting and as potentially
life-changing as it may be and literally
pick up the journal and
create that first action if you have
journaled and you're looking for the
first action that you can do before that
window closes it's probably going to be
something that's related to whatever was
at the top of your list in question six
so if your number one goal was to roll a
skate around australia and you don't
even own roller skates your first step
would be to buy the roller skates the
first step is
usually not more self-improvement
content which is kind of a bit of pill
to swallow if you quite enjoy this stuff
it's going to be some sort of action but
once you start the inertia it gets
easier and easier and easier the trick
is to start
and there it is the 11 steps that i like
to use to recalibrate reset my life and
get it back on track
like i said if you want a worksheet i've
got one there's a link in the
description or if you just want to write
it in your notebook you'll get the same
effect it doesn't matter it's more like
i just want to help that said let me
know what other topics you want me to
cover on this channel
subscribe if you're new and have an
amazing day good luck with the
journaling
catcher
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