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The 10-minute rhythm that will save your sanity this summer! · The Wholehearted Enneagram Podcast

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: Hey friend, how's your summer going so far?
• 0:04
  SPEAKER_00: I hope it's going well and I hope you're enjoying this mini podcast series created for you to thrive in motherhood and your business this summer.
• 0:13
  SPEAKER_00: Now, if you haven't yet heard or listened to the other two episodes in this series, after you listen to this shorty episode, I think you're gonna want to cue those ones up next.
• 0:28
  SPEAKER_00: This special summer mini-series is for you, the multi-talented, hardworking Love Big Mama.
• 0:35
  SPEAKER_00: For a few weeks, I'm sharing my coaching tips and tricks to have a summer to remember.
• 0:40
  SPEAKER_00: Plus, still get things done that are important to moving your faith, business goals, and relationships forward.
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_00: I know what it's like to juggle a load of responsibilities, yet, desire connection with the kids during these lazy, fleeting days of summer.
• 0:57
  SPEAKER_00: That's why I'm sharing some tried and true hacks to create a summer you love.
• 1:02
  SPEAKER_00: It's like you and I are getting to have a special pep talk, strategy session while you go on a walk, head to the pool, or hit the road for your summer vacation.
• 1:12
  SPEAKER_00: If we haven't met before, I'm Amy Wicks.
• 1:15
  SPEAKER_00: I'm an Enneagram life coach, helping entrepreneurial women have a vibrant faith, to thrive in their relationships, and to think like a business owner.
• 1:25
  SPEAKER_00: I do this by helping you identify your personality strengths, getting freedom from your emotional struggles, and creating simple, sustainable, life-giving rhythms.
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_00: I am so glad you're here.
• 1:39
  SPEAKER_00: This is the Simply Wholehearted Podcast.
• 2:07
  SPEAKER_00: Now, every single one of my successful coaching clients implements a journaling routine, even if they've never before been a journaler.
• 2:16
  SPEAKER_00: Now notice I said successful clients.
• 2:19
  SPEAKER_00: I promise you, my favorite clients get amazing results because they take the time to start this 10-minute rhythm and they stick to it.
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_00: If you happen to be a fellow busy mom, business owner, and just a human being, you most likely have a million thoughts swirling in your head, and those thoughts need to have someplace to land.
• 2:42
  SPEAKER_00: That was me.
• 2:44
  SPEAKER_00: And creating a journaling rhythm as part of my morning routine has been critical to go from surviving to thriving.
• 2:52
  SPEAKER_00: Especially as hard as last year was for me.
• 2:55
  SPEAKER_00: I needed to take care of my mental health and emotional health so I could stay balanced and strong to help others, not just in my home, but my coaching clients.
• 3:06
  SPEAKER_00: As an Enneagram 7, I can be guilty of rushing past my negative emotions or even ignoring them in order to think or do something that's a lot happier.
• 3:16
  SPEAKER_00: But especially last year, it was crucial for me to have a safe place to cry, to emote, and to spill out my thoughts in written prayer.
• 3:24
  SPEAKER_00: And honestly, I needed a daily place to shake my low-grade anxiety.
• 3:29
  SPEAKER_00: I am in that head triad, the five, six, and seven.
• 3:32
  SPEAKER_00: And the anxious thoughts, well, those are real.
• 3:35
  SPEAKER_00: I basically treated my journaling routine as a self-check-in.
• 3:39
  SPEAKER_00: To be clear, not every time I journal is a sob fest or was a sob fest or a bunch of flowery words and emotions.
• 3:47
  SPEAKER_00: Because even just today, the day I am recording this episode, my journal entry was one sentence.
• 3:54
  SPEAKER_00: Truly, it was a one-sentence prayer.
• 3:57
  SPEAKER_00: Lord help me.
• 3:59
  SPEAKER_00: But journaling every morning or almost every morning does get my anxiety calms and the swirl of thoughts out of my head and onto paper.
• 4:09
  SPEAKER_00: Taking the time to journal gives my thoughts a place to live or a parking space, you could call it.
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_00: So my flurry of thoughts and even emotions aren't distracting me all day long.
• 4:22
  SPEAKER_00: Also, to be clear, when I talk about getting your thoughts on paper, I am talking about the old school pen and paper method.
• 4:29
  SPEAKER_00: I've tried digital notebooks and options like those, but I think the power is putting pen to paper, that head-to-hand motion, there's actually studies out there that show that there is something powerful about sitting in a quiet room and physically getting your thoughts down with the head-to-hand connection.
• 4:50
  SPEAKER_00: It's a deeper connection than just using a notes app or typing it onto a computer.
• 4:55
  SPEAKER_00: Now, you might argue with me, and if the point of using a pen and paper is a roadblock for you, then please, by all means, do it your way.
• 5:04
  SPEAKER_00: The rest of this episode is still going to be applicable for you, and it's full of practical tips.
• 5:10
  SPEAKER_00: Before we go any further, I thought I'd share some highlights about how journaling might help you.
• 5:16
  SPEAKER_00: For me, journaling is a powerful way to process and write out my prayers to God.
• 5:21
  SPEAKER_00: It serves almost as a form of therapy, and it's truly my safe place to share and examine my thoughts and my wonderings.
• 5:30
  SPEAKER_00: It can also help you to take a hard look at yourself and ask, why am I having these thoughts?
• 5:36
  SPEAKER_00: It gives you a place to dissect them and come to terms with them instead of rushing past them or ruminating on them.
• 5:43
  SPEAKER_00: After you journal so often things become clear.
• 6:21
  SPEAKER_00: Truly, it's where I get some of my best ideas.
• 6:24
  SPEAKER_00: I'll literally pour out my heart before God on the pages of my journal, and they're just filled with conversations.
• 6:31
  SPEAKER_00: I share, you know, like clients' stories and concerns and wonderings, what's going on with my family, things I'm worried about, business ideas, all those different things.
• 6:42
  SPEAKER_00: It's just conversations with him.
• 6:44
  SPEAKER_00: And out of that, I often get really clear direction, just like I mentioned before.
• 6:49
  SPEAKER_00: Things become clear.
• 6:51
  SPEAKER_00: I love telling my clients how powerful it can be to write out their prayers and questions to God.
• 6:57
  SPEAKER_00: So often, journals can become a historical archive of how God has worked in your life.
• 7:03
  SPEAKER_00: The Lord often answers our prayers in real time.
• 7:07
  SPEAKER_00: And it's easy to just like praise the Lord, but move on and forget.
• 7:11
  SPEAKER_00: And a journal can serve as a remembrance of how far that you've come and where the Lord has brought you, you know, like from here to there, and remember some of that journey.
• 7:22
  SPEAKER_00: I wish I could just give all the details to the cool revelation stories that I've had along the way when I've practiced the journaling rhythm.
• 7:31
  SPEAKER_00: But it truly is something to the effect of where I'll have a question, again, whether it's about my family or my business or this concern or prayer request or client or something, and I'll I'll write out this quick little sentence prayer, Lord, what about this?
• 7:46
  SPEAKER_00: Or I have no idea what to do, or this is really troubling me.
• 7:50
  SPEAKER_00: And then all of a sudden I find myself writing an answer to myself.
• 7:55
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, it's not like the Lord took over my hand and started writing out an answer, but I sort of feel that the Lord has given us common sense.
• 8:04
  SPEAKER_00: He's given us the Holy Spirit.
• 8:07
  SPEAKER_00: If we are taking in the Word of God, then a lot of the answers that we need are really here just beneath the surface.
• 8:15
  SPEAKER_00: And sometimes we need to get that top layer, which is our care, concern, our anxiety, our fear, our shame, our worry, all of the angst in us.
• 8:25
  SPEAKER_00: And we just need to begin to get it from our head and our heart to the paper.
• 8:30
  SPEAKER_00: And putting our pen to the paper and writing it out, sometimes that top layer, it disappears or dissipates, or we put the light on those dark places.
• 8:41
  SPEAKER_00: And then the truth or the answer can rise to the surface.
• 8:47
  SPEAKER_00: And suddenly we can see exactly what it is that we need to do.
• 8:51
  SPEAKER_00: And it is, for me, a way that the Lord speaks and directs.
• 8:56
  SPEAKER_00: I have so many cool stories.
• 8:58
  SPEAKER_00: And sometimes even I will have written something and I don't hear something or I don't have hear the answer right away or have the revelation or clarity.
• 9:06
  SPEAKER_00: But later on that day, it might all of a sudden pop into my mind.
• 9:10
  SPEAKER_00: And I really think it's because I got that other junk out of the way and I got it on paper.
• 9:17
  SPEAKER_00: So because I think this rhythm is so powerful, I bet you can try this rhythm out and find 10 minutes to give it a whirl.
• 9:27
  SPEAKER_00: I know you might be struggling though to find those 10 minutes to do this rhythm.
• 9:30
  SPEAKER_00: And I understand you are not the first one, and most of my clients have this issue.
• 9:35
  SPEAKER_00: So that's why I created years ago, actually, I created an own your time workshop.
• 9:41
  SPEAKER_00: I call own your time instead of owning you.
• 9:44
  SPEAKER_00: And I give it to a lot of my clients because I want them to make the time for journaling after our sessions, especially, but also journaling through the reflection prompts that I give them.
• 9:55
  SPEAKER_00: Now, as my clients have implemented this rhythm of owning their time, they really have been able to journal and they put their action steps into place and I see them thrive in their business and their relationships.
• 10:09
  SPEAKER_00: Now, for most people that own your time workshop, it only takes about 45 minutes to complete, but it gives you hours in return.
• 10:16
  SPEAKER_00: And that 45 minutes is actually planning and creating a routine and rhythm that you love.
• 10:21
  SPEAKER_00: So if you need a little help with your schedule and implementing sanity saving rhythms, you can just check out how to get this resource in the show notes.
• 10:30
  SPEAKER_00: What's really great is you don't have to be a current client to get your hands on this helpful mini workshop.
• 10:37
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, now I wanted to give you a glimpse into my morning routine, which includes my journaling rhythm.
• 10:44
  SPEAKER_00: So if you're self-starter, you can begin to paint a picture in your own mind about how implementing this 10-minute rhythm that will save your sanity this summer.
• 10:53
  SPEAKER_00: First of all, I wake up before the kids.
• 10:57
  SPEAKER_00: Now, you might be in a stage of life where your kids wake up super early, or maybe you're blessed with kids who sleep in.
• 11:06
  SPEAKER_00: This is where it doesn't have to be hours and hours before your kids wake up.
• 11:11
  SPEAKER_00: It can be if you're gonna just try this 10-minute rhythm, it just has to be 10 minutes before they get up.
• 11:17
  SPEAKER_00: Or if they're old enough, you can give your kids direction to do their own thing while you take this 10 minutes to journal.
• 11:25
  SPEAKER_00: So what does that look like for you?
• 11:27
  SPEAKER_00: Make it work for you.
• 11:28
  SPEAKER_00: Wake up before the kids.
• 11:30
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe it's 30 minutes, maybe it's 15 minutes.
• 11:33
  SPEAKER_00: I just know that any mom I talk to that is able to get up before their kids and get some of their morning routine done, it makes for an amazing day.
• 11:41
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, so for me, I wake up before the kids.
• 11:43
  SPEAKER_00: It was really difficult when they were younger because they were early risers.
• 11:46
  SPEAKER_00: Now it's easy peasy, especially during the summertime.
• 11:50
  SPEAKER_00: Teenagers actually do sleep.
• 11:52
  SPEAKER_00: It's amazing.
• 11:53
  SPEAKER_00: But I wake up, I don't usually set an alarm.
• 11:56
  SPEAKER_00: The Lord kind of wakes me up at a certain time every day and I try to go with it willingly.
• 12:01
  SPEAKER_00: I don't like pop out of bed, by the way, like ready for you know, smiles and sunshine.
• 12:08
  SPEAKER_00: I, you know, I take my time and that's why I enjoy the kind of the this little lead up to my day.
• 12:14
  SPEAKER_00: But I go ahead and kind of shuffle to the kitchen.
• 12:17
  SPEAKER_00: I get the coffee started.
• 12:18
  SPEAKER_00: I've usually prepped most of it the night before.
• 12:21
  SPEAKER_00: I stretch, I know that sounds so silly, but we have one of those uh star from roly thingies, and I roll out my back every morning, and I don't know if it's because I'm over 40, but it's like this wonderful experience of rolling out my back and it pops, and you know, I stretch my legs and I'm kind of tired, but I just figure like I'll take some deep breaths, I'll stretch, I'll get the blood flowing right.
• 12:46
  SPEAKER_00: And then I do something that I call kneeling prayer.
• 12:50
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, that maybe sounds really weird, and I am not talking about something that's overly religious or I'm not like bragging about something, but for me, I just have a few memorized prayers, but I literally after I stretch, I get on my knees and usually just like on my hands and face, and I say these prayers.
• 13:10
  SPEAKER_00: For me, it sets my intention of like laying my life before the Lord, surrendering, and uh before I do all the other things.
• 13:21
  SPEAKER_00: My next rhythm is contemplative practice.
• 13:25
  SPEAKER_00: Now I'm gonna share more about this concept in the next episode of this mini summer series, but for now it's stillness, silence, and solitude.
• 13:34
  SPEAKER_00: I engage in that practice for a little bit, and then right after I get my journal out, I start writing out what I'm worried about, when I'm frustrated, my gratitude, my to-do list, what I'm dreading, and how I need help.
• 13:49
  SPEAKER_00: And usually the contemplative practice and the journaling really go hand in hand because while I'm sitting there, I'm not emptying myself of all the thoughts.
• 13:57
  SPEAKER_00: I'm actually allowing all my thoughts to rise to the surface.
• 14:01
  SPEAKER_00: And I examine them, I don't suppress them, but those thoughts have to go somewhere.
• 14:06
  SPEAKER_00: I have to give them over to the Lord.
• 14:08
  SPEAKER_00: And really, my journaling is my way of giving those thoughts, good, bad, ugly, wonderful, to the Lord and getting from my head to the paper.
• 14:22
  SPEAKER_00: Now, instead of offering specific Enneagram tips in this episode, I'm going to offer you an acronym to guide you through a healthy journal process.
• 14:32
  SPEAKER_00: The word journal is a way to remember to approach this journaling rhythm with freedom.
• 14:37
  SPEAKER_00: I know, super handy, right?
• 14:39
  SPEAKER_00: First of all, for Jay, it's a judgment-free process, kind of as I hinted at, especially with the contemplative thing.
• 14:46
  SPEAKER_00: You don't judge or edit your thoughts.
• 14:49
  SPEAKER_00: This is very important for you editors out there, or oftentimes your Enneagram ones.
• 14:54
  SPEAKER_00: You're just going to get it out.
• 14:57
  SPEAKER_00: You don't need to worry about someone else reading your journal.
• 15:01
  SPEAKER_00: And if you do need to worry about that, we probably need to talk and implement some healthy boundaries with those people.
• 15:07
  SPEAKER_00: But you should be able to just put your honest thoughts.
• 15:11
  SPEAKER_00: They're not keeping a record of wrongs.
• 15:14
  SPEAKER_00: It is not bad to get what is in your head, even if it's questioning the Lord, you need to get those out because that is a place oftentimes where you can allow the Lord to shine some light and truth on them.
• 15:27
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, second, O is for observe.
• 15:30
  SPEAKER_00: Take time to observe how you respond and react from the lens of your personality motivations.
• 15:36
  SPEAKER_00: And this is where some coaching comes in.
• 15:38
  SPEAKER_00: Oftentimes people will bring some of their honest journal thoughts, their unedited version, and together we figure out why they're uniquely responding to these situations or to these thoughts the way they are.
• 15:53
  SPEAKER_00: Use for understand how you perceive what happens to you is more important than what actually happens.
• 16:01
  SPEAKER_00: Now, it doesn't make it truth, but this allows yourself the chance to understand the emotion behind what you are feeling in that circumstance or that question or whatever it is that you're going through.
• 16:13
  SPEAKER_00: Again, it doesn't mean it's truth, but it helps you understand.
• 16:19
  SPEAKER_00: R is for revelation.
• 16:20
  SPEAKER_00: It's time to sort through what are facts and what are feelings.
• 16:24
  SPEAKER_00: This ties into the understanding again.
• 16:28
  SPEAKER_00: But now it's time to hold them to the light of truth.
• 16:31
  SPEAKER_00: What is real and what are you just feeling?
• 16:34
  SPEAKER_00: What is the emotion behind this experience?
• 16:38
  SPEAKER_00: N is for notice.
• 16:40
  SPEAKER_00: Notice what is true.
• 16:42
  SPEAKER_00: Now you go back and you know, maybe you've written, my kids hate me.
• 16:48
  SPEAKER_00: But instead, that was a feeling, or that's even something that what they said, but what is true?
• 16:54
  SPEAKER_00: They were having a bad moment.
• 16:56
  SPEAKER_00: They were angry.
• 16:57
  SPEAKER_00: They said something they didn't mean.
• 17:00
  SPEAKER_00: Then A is for action.
• 17:02
  SPEAKER_00: Practice gratitude or write out scripture or prayer.
• 17:06
  SPEAKER_00: I'm telling you, friends, sometimes I don't always get this time, and sometimes it is a brain dump.
• 17:11
  SPEAKER_00: And I sort of throw up on the paper.
• 17:13
  SPEAKER_00: But I really love to come back with either if I I don't know, if I'm being stubborn and I don't want to write out a prayer, or if I don't want to go to scripture, which is usually a poor decision because scripture always helps, I at least practice gratitude and I say, well, thank you, Lord, that the sun is shining, that I have this awesome tasting cup of coffee, that I had this time with you, that I can lay all my concerns before you and I can be completely honest with you.
• 17:43
  SPEAKER_00: Again, you might throw up on the page, it might just, you know, all come out there, but the goal here with the action is to not stay there.
• 17:52
  SPEAKER_00: Utilize gratitude, prayer, and scripture to shift your mindset.
• 17:57
  SPEAKER_00: L is for live.
• 17:59
  SPEAKER_00: Live with less anxiety.
• 18:01
  SPEAKER_00: I truly believe that when you continue to practice this rhythm, it's amazing the clarity that you're going to get for all the questions you have about your faith, business, and relationships.
• 18:13
  SPEAKER_00: All of that.
• 18:14
  SPEAKER_00: Now, some days I do come with what you would think are the silliest questions or a really bad attitude.
• 18:23
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, you know, sassy girl, it's in there in me.
• 18:27
  SPEAKER_00: But this is also where the Lord faithfully meets me and helps me every single day throughout the day.
• 18:35
  SPEAKER_00: So if journaling is not yet part of your daily practice, I encourage you to try it out.
• 18:41
  SPEAKER_00: Test this rhythm out for a week or maybe even a few days.
• 18:44
  SPEAKER_00: You can always stop or take a break.
• 18:46
  SPEAKER_00: But once you start experiencing the benefits, I really think you're going to want to keep doing it.
• 18:51
  SPEAKER_00: It can take a little time to get used to it, but oh my friend, it is really truly worth it.
• 18:59
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, before we go, here are a few bonus tips to get you going.
• 19:04
  SPEAKER_00: If journaling is not the first thing, it may not happen.
• 19:07
  SPEAKER_00: So I encourage you, do it before the kids get up, do it first thing in the morning.
• 19:12
  SPEAKER_00: Second, you do not have to go back and write your daily activities or catch up.
• 19:18
  SPEAKER_00: The cool thing with journaling is you're never behind.
• 19:21
  SPEAKER_00: Just start the morning of the day you were at, the emotion you're feeling, the thought you're having.
• 19:27
  SPEAKER_00: You are not behind.
• 19:28
  SPEAKER_00: We're not going back and catching up on the daily activities.
• 19:31
  SPEAKER_00: That was so third grade.
• 19:33
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, anyone else?
• 19:34
  SPEAKER_00: Yep, I have a couple of those.
• 19:36
  SPEAKER_00: Right now, you're just starting right where you are.
• 19:39
  SPEAKER_00: Third, you can use my handy acronym, journal.
• 19:43
  SPEAKER_00: It's judgment-free, observe, understand, revelation, notice, action, and live.
• 19:51
  SPEAKER_00: And if you want to remember this, this episode was short enough.
• 19:54
  SPEAKER_00: Go back and listen to how I describe all these steps, write them out in your journal, and so you have them there on the page to remind you of the process.
• 20:02
  SPEAKER_00: Fourth, maybe you need an accountability partner.
• 20:06
  SPEAKER_00: Now, clearly, my coaching clients have an accountability partner in me, and I remind them they truly get it done because they want to get it done before the next session.
• 20:15
  SPEAKER_00: And oftentimes they use those journal prompts as notes in between and to get coaching in between sessions.
• 20:21
  SPEAKER_00: But you could find a friend or maybe your spouse, maybe even one of your kids who's older, they want to do a journaling rhythm too.
• 20:29
  SPEAKER_00: And use that for an accountability partner where you don't have to show them your journal entry.
• 20:34
  SPEAKER_00: That's the whole point, right?
• 20:35
  SPEAKER_00: We need the safe place that no one else is reading it.
• 20:38
  SPEAKER_00: But maybe just to check in and say, hey, I got it done, and pat yourself on the back.
• 20:44
  SPEAKER_00: Last but not least, don't make excuses.
• 20:48
  SPEAKER_00: Give yourself the gift you deserve.
• 20:50
  SPEAKER_00: You'll walk away with less overwhelm and more peace.
• 20:54
  SPEAKER_00: That might be all the reward you need.
• 20:57
  SPEAKER_00: But if you need a little bit more, listen to the last couple of episodes where I talk about celebrating the small accomplishments.
• 21:06
  SPEAKER_00: So maybe after a week of journaling every single day for 10 minutes, you reward yourself.
• 21:11
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know.
• 21:12
  SPEAKER_00: It could just be as simple as a favorite iced coffee beverage or, you know, something like that.
• 21:18
  SPEAKER_00: It doesn't have to be extravagant, but a fun way to pat yourself on the back.
• 21:22
  SPEAKER_00: I really believe that you can start this 10-minute rhythm that will save your sanity this summer and love it.
• 21:30
  SPEAKER_00: Now, I've mentioned a few times that I have a freshly updated owning your time mini workshop and the Simply Summer video guide that's ready for you to help you enjoy your summer without mom guilt while growing a business you love.
• 21:45
  SPEAKER_00: Again, no summer has been perfect more for my crew.
• 21:48
  SPEAKER_00: It never is.
• 21:49
  SPEAKER_00: What summer is perfect?
• 21:50
  SPEAKER_00: What day is perfect?
• 21:52
  SPEAKER_00: But every summer has been exactly what we needed, and we've loved them all.
• 21:56
  SPEAKER_00: I have all the details in the show notes, and I have a special summer bundle package that is only$47 for both online video guide workshops, and you can get started on those today, maybe even finished.
• 22:09
  SPEAKER_00: Wouldn't that be awesome?
• 22:11
  SPEAKER_00: Next week, I'm gonna wrap up our summer mini-series and I'm gonna talk about one of my favorite things, soul care.
• 22:18
  SPEAKER_00: Yep, I'm gonna share how to have more white space this summer and still achieve your goals.
• 22:25
  SPEAKER_00: Remember, you are the mom your kids need, and I hope you implement these wholehearted rhythms to help you love your motherhood and business even in the summertime.