Category: intention

How I’m Reading 100 Books in 2024

Posted on by Allan Johnson in creativity, habits, intention, Observations

Reading has always been more than just a pastime for me — it’s my passion and my whole world. To misquote Barbie‘s Ken: my job is books. But perhaps somewhat surprisingly, in the hustle and bustle of my day job as an English literature academic, the sheer joy of reading for pleasure has fallen by the wayside. In order to get back to the joys of simply reading for pleasure I have set myself a challenge to read 100 books in 2024.

I read a lot as it is, but as there is so much more out there that I want to consume and enjoy I am challenging myself to read a lot this year. Nearly twice as much as I read last year. And, just to be clear, the 100 books are those that I am reading for pleasure–not the many more books that I will also be reading just for work.

I’m feeling pretty confident that I can meet this challenge because I already have a lot of strategies that have always helped me read a huge amount for my job. While these tips and tricks have been helpful to me as an English academic over the years, this year I am repurposing them for my own benefit to make sure that I am reading the stuff that I want to read for pleasure this year.

Here are some tips on how you can read 100 books (or 52, or 25, or 12, or whatever!) in 2024:

  • Keeping a TBR List: In order to navigate all the fantastic books that you have in store for you, keeping track of your To-Be-Read (TBR) list is paramount. My strategy is to use Goodreads as a comprehensive tool to keep track of the books I want to read, am currently immersed in, and have completed. This not only simplifies the reading process, but also provides a rewarding visualisation of progress and turns the literary journey into a tangible adventure.
  • Multitasking the reading experience: The key to an enriching reading experience lies in variety and having several books on the go at once ensures flexibility: if I don’t like one book, there’s another waiting for me. As I take a cross-platform approach, I juggle between a printed book, a Kindle and an audiobook. This ensures that, whatever the mood or situation, I always have a literary companion at hand to transport me to other worlds.
  • Notes as a ritual of immersion: For a devoted bibliophile, reading goes beyond the act itself. It becomes an immersive ritual where you internalise the essence of each book. My simple note-taking system consists of underlining or highlighting key passages and then summarising the book in my Goodreads reviews to create a tangible connection with the material. It’s a practise that goes beyond just finishing a book; it’s about creating a record of what you’ve completed
  • Giving up the unappealing: One of the liberating facets of my reading challenge is that I allow myself the freedom to give up on a book after the first 50 pages if it doesn’t captivate me. Life is too short to force yourself through something that you don’t vibe with. This ensures that each book contributes to the pleasure of reading rather than becoming a chore.
  • Visibility and accountability: When you resolve to read a hundred books in a year, visibility becomes a powerful accountability tool. Platforms like Goodreads are no longer just personal logbooks, but become public statements of commitment. This visibility acts as a subtle motivator, a gentle reminder that the literary journey is shared and that milestones should be celebrated together.

For me the challenge of reading 100 books in one year is not just about sheer quantity, but about rediscovering the joy of reading for pleasure. You can track my progress and share your own reading adventures on Goodreads — a virtual place where fellow literature lovers come together to celebrate the magic of books!

In The Path of Mindful Living: A 21-Day Mindfulness Companion, I lead you through a series of self-guided mindfulness exercises and show you how to bring mindfulness into your daily life. Readers of my blog can download the workbook and pullout charts for only £6.

Mastering 2024 with a Personal Annual Review

Posted on by Allan Johnson in habits, intention, Observations, Productivity

Review and reflection are an important part of the creative process, but one that is often underestimated or completely undervalued. Having those moments where we look at the work we’ve completed and realise how we’ve changed and grown as a result, and what new opportunities or challenges present themselves to us in the future, is part of the process of constant iteration and growth.

An annual reflection is an opportunity to reconnect with our purpose and find a greater sense of clarity, recognise growth, and ensure we’re aligned with our long-term goals. It’s also about being more accepting of change, recognising how we have grown over the year, but also that we want to continue to grow in the year ahead. 

Reflection encourages creative innovation, and it’s something I’ve been doing regularly in the last few weeks of December over the last few years. The tool I use to structure the questions of my annual review is what is called the PERMA Model, developed by positive psychologist Martin Seligman. This model provides a holistic framework for understanding and improving our wellbeing and focuses on five essential elements that contribute to a flourishing and truly fulfilling life. 

  • P stands for ‘Positive Emotion’ and emphasises the importance of feeling joy, gratitude and contentment. 
  • E is for ‘Engagement’ and encourages us to seek out activities that put us in a state of flow and immerse us deeply in the world around us. 
  • R stands for ‘Relationships’, recognising the important role of positive social relationships and communities in our overall wellbeing.
  • M refers to ‘Meaning’, encouraging us to find purpose and significance in our actions and behaviours. 
  • Finally, A represents ‘Achievement’ or ‘Accomplishment’, recognising the importance of engaging in and pursuing meaningful challenges to foster a sense of competence and growth within us. 

This model emphasises the interconnectedness of all these elements, asserting that a balance between positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning and achievement leads to a more robust and inclusive sense of wellbeing. 

The PERMA model is a practical guide to improving our overall life satisfaction and a tool to help us reflect on the past year and plan for the year ahead. It can serve as a framework for our personal annual review and provides a nuanced lens through which we can evaluate the different facets of our lives. 

The strength of the model is that it allows us to holistically assess our situation and our progress this year, so that the annual review goes beyond simply setting goals. Instead, this approach encourages us to explore our emotional wellbeing as part of our creative process. It encourages quality social relationships and the pursuit of activities that contribute to a greater sense of purpose as you move towards your personal goal. 

PERMA ensures that every element of a balanced life is brought into focus. Like any other annual review it incorporates a focus on achievements, but it doesn’t stop there, as it emphasises the importance of living in a way that aligns with with our personal values and which fosters a deep sense of purpose. Elements of personal growth such as engagement and purpose are placed centre stage and we’re asked to reflect on how we have developed and what we have learned. 

PERMA can transform our personal review from a mere checklist of achievements into a powerful journey of reflection. It invites us to explore emotions, evaluate commitment, cultivate meaningful relationships, find goals and celebrate successes, encouraging a continuous and adaptive approach to our self-improvement. 

To do your personal review, start by finding a comfortable, private space and take some time to make it really cosy and inviting for you. This could mean lighting a candle or pouring yourself a cup of tea or coffee, perhaps with some music playing in the background. And then sit down with a notebook and write down your answers to these PERMA questions. Trust your instincts and don’t overthink your response. 

Positive Emotions (P):

  • What were the most joyful moments you experienced throughout the past year?
  • Reflecting on challenging times, how did you cultivate positive emotions to navigate difficulties?
  • Did you engage in activities that brought you a sense of contentment and fulfilment?
  • How can you incorporate more activities that elicit positive emotions into the upcoming year?

Engagement (E):

  • Identify the activities or projects that made you feel completely absorbed and engaged.
  • Were there times when you experienced a state of flow, losing track of time while working on something meaningful?
  • Did you pursue hobbies or interests that brought a deep sense of satisfaction and engagement?
  • How can you structure your daily or weekly routine to include more activities that bring a sense of engagement?

Relationships (R):

  • Reflect on the quality of your relationships with friends, family, and colleagues.
  • Were there any conflicts or challenges in your relationships that need resolution or improvement?
  • What actions did you take to strengthen existing relationships or cultivate new meaningful connections?
  • How can you prioritise and nurture your relationships in the upcoming year?

Meaning (M):

  • Consider the goals and values that provided a sense of purpose in the past year.
  • Were there moments when you questioned or reaffirmed your sense of meaning and purpose?
  • Reflect on activities that aligned with your personal values and contributed to a greater sense of meaning.
  • What new goals or areas of focus can you explore to enhance the overall meaning in your life?

Accomplishment/Achievement (A):

  • List your significant achievements and accomplishments over the past year.
  • Reflect on goals you set for yourself and assess the progress you made toward achieving them.
  • Were there any setbacks or obstacles that impacted your sense of achievement, and how did you overcome them?
  • What new goals or challenges do you want to set for yourself in the coming year?

In The Path of Mindful Living: A 21-Day Mindfulness Companion, I lead you through a series of self-guided mindfulness exercises and show you how to bring mindfulness into your daily life. Readers of my blog can download the workbook and pullout charts for only £6.

Taming Your Stream of Consciousness

Posted on by Allan Johnson in intention, mindfulness

The early American psychologist William James used the term ‘stream of consciousness’ to refer to the spontaneous flow of thoughts, images, sensations, and emotions that constantly assail us throughout the day. It is a kind of inner monologue–the chatter and twittering of the mind. Most of the time we are not really aware of our stream of consciousness, but it is always there: on the way to work, in the background of our favourite show, or when we are trying to sleep. It is a kind of inner narrative that helps us make sense of the world. We wander from one topic to the next so automatically that we are not even aware that we are thinking. It’s a kind of ‘default setting’ within us that comes to the fore if we are not careful.

Because our minds are constantly thinking and generating thoughts, we are subjected to a constant bombardment of thoughts, sensations, and emotions. Our stream of consciousness is not a direct or accurate reflection of ‘reality’, rather it is a reflection of our mindsets, our beliefs, and our assumptions. The stream of consciousness is a kind of chirping and ever-changing background noise that can be limiting and distracting. When negative, the stream of consciousness can pull us down and prevent us from achieving our goals and living a healthy and balanced life.

Our negative thoughts become a kind of feedback loop and we get stuck in a kind of loop of negativity. We get caught in a cycle where we notice that we are thinking about negative things, and these negative thoughts create negative feelings, which in turn cause us to have more negative thoughts. To overcome this we need to be able to steer the stream of consciousness in a more positive direction. We must recognise that have a choice to respond to the information of our stream of consciousness positively, negatively, or not at all.

One of the most important insights about the stream of consciousness is that it is not ‘me’. We tend to identify with the stream of consciousness and think of it as a kind of ‘I’, because ‘I’ am the character who seems to be having these thoughts. But the stream of consciousness is not really an ‘I’ or ‘me’, but rather a stream of mental activity that we tend to equate with ‘me’. But the stream of consciousness is not a representation of ‘me’, it is only a representation of the mind that is part of ‘me’. It is not your pure, deep, and pristine centre of consciousness.

Realising that the stream of consciousness is not ‘you’ is the first step to being able to better control and shape your thoughts, beliefs, assumptions, and emotions.
If the stream of consciousness is not ‘you’, then what is it? We can think of it kind of like an holographic self: a collection of thoughts, images, sensations, and emotions, but also a collection of habitual beliefs, assumptions, thought processes and ways of thinking. It is the part of us that seems to be able to experience and act on the world. Ask yourself, “If the voice of my stream of consciousness was another person, would I want to spend my time with them?”. The answer is usually a resounding ‘no’, because our stream of consciousness is usually incredibly boring, repetitive and negative.

We can learn to tame the stream of consciousness by seeing it as an “other” – as one of many voices within us. If we are able to become aware of the stream of consciousness, we can learn to change its tone and texture. We can begin to become aware of when we are having negative, unhelpful and unproductive thoughts and we can choose to let go of these thoughts or engage with them. We can learn to reframe our thoughts so that they are less negative, less self-limiting and less stressful. Instead of being stuck in a cycle of negative thoughts, we can choose to take control of the stream of consciousness and direct it in a positive direction.

Since our stream of consciousness has a tendency to be incredibly repetitive and return to the same thoughts and feelings over and over again, one of the best ways to break the stream of consciousness is to have new thoughts, try new things, and break out of our comfort zone. When we have new and positive experiences, we can realise that our stream of consciousness is not necessarily an accurate reflection of reality, but can instead be a reflection of our mindset and our own limiting beliefs and assumptions. When we have new and positive experiences, we can allow ourselves to be more present and aware of the present moment.

Download your free 21-day course in The Path of Mindfulness. In this life-changing 21-day mindfulness journey, Dr Allan Kilner-Johnson guides you through a series of self-guided mindfulness exercises and shows you how and when to bring mindfulness into your daily life. 

How to Lead a Lifestyle that Supports Your Values

Posted on by Allan Johnson in intention, wellbeing

Your values guide your decisions and set the rhythm of your life. They are the reason you do what you do. A lifestyle that supports your values means that you live your authentic version of yourself in all areas of your life, including at work, with your family, and other aspects of your life that are important to you. It leaves you with greater energy, passion, and power. It is a lifestyle that lets you live in the moment because you are going your own way.

I have found four crucial elements that help you do this: Purpose, Alignment, Strengths and Courage. Let us look at these elements a little more closely.

Purpose. 

Your life has a purpose. That purpose is to live your values and be an authentic version of yourself. To learn about yourself, you first need to get in touch with your feelings. You have to listen to your feelings and learn to trust your feelings. You will know that you are in touch with your feelings when you start to notice your feelings. You will know that you are living your destiny when you remain true to yourself in your thoughts, feelings, actions, relationships, and beliefs. The more you learn about what is important to you, the more you will know what is important to you and the more you will know what is right for you. When you follow what is right for you, then you are true to yourself. This is a very important part of learning to love yourself.

Alignment. 

Alignment is more than just doing what seems right in the moment. To align yourself with your higher values, you first need to create a vision of who you really want to be, with a clear understand of what is important to you and what you want to achieve in your life. Having a clear vision is not a one-time process. It takes time and effort, and you need to make it a daily exercise. To live an authentic life, it is important that you let your purpose guide your future. It is important to be true to yourself in every moment of your life. Remember that your only goal in life is to live your values and truly embody them. In turn, your values become the guide for your actions. If you are in tune with your values, then you are on the right path. You make the decisions that are right for you. You are living the life that is right for you. You are living your values. You are true to yourself.

Strengths.

The more you walk your own path, the more you will discover your own strengths, and the more you discover your own strengths, the more confident you will be in yourself. When you are true to yourself, your value-led actions build upon your strengths and help you to develop strength in new areas.  When you live your values and use your strengths, you feel comfortable in your skin. You feel confident. You feel excited. You feel alive. This is a very important part of the life you love. Believe in yourself. Believe in your dreams. The more you follow your own path and the more you believe in your own strength, the more you will love yourself and the more you will allow yourself to love others.

Courage. 

It takes a lot of courage to follow your own path. You will need to be courageous in all areas of your life. The courage to stand up for your values is not easy. It is a lifelong journey. It is a journey of self-acceptance, self-love, and self-discovery. And, most importantly, It is a journey of constant growth. Through connecting to your inherent strength, you can hone the courage to take risks and stay true to yourself. There will be people who do not agree with you. There will be people who feel threatened by your authenticity. There will be people who will criticise and judge you.  If you have the courage to stand up for your values and do what is right for you, then you can live a life that matches your values.

When you are in tune with these values, your life becomes more embodied and authentic, and you develop more confidence to pursue greater goals and aspirations in life. Lasting success comes when you consistently make the right choices every day. You will find that you have more time, more energy, and more freedom to be yourself.

Download your free 21-day course in The Path of Mindfulness. In this life-changing 21-day mindfulness journey, Dr Allan Kilner-Johnson guides you through a series of self-guided mindfulness exercises and shows you how and when to bring mindfulness into your daily life. 

Finding Time for Meditation: How to Meditate Amid a Busy Life

Posted on by Allan Johnson in habits, intention, meditation

Sometimes it is incredibly difficult to switch off from the stressors of your life and take the time to meditate. Many people believe that they do not have the time necessary to devote to meditation. Although we always seem to be catching a bus or a train, keeping appointments, or getting things done, we can still make space and time for meditation in our busy lives. When we take the time to meditate, when we become more self-aware and learn to observe ourselves and our reactions, we will find that we often find time for the things we need to do. Even if you are a busy person with a very full life, you can find time to meditate by integrating meditation into your daily routine.

Meditation does not have to be incredibly time consuming. Morning is an excellent time to meditate because that is when your home is likely to be the quietest. Consider waking up before the rest of your household to have a few much-needed minutes to yourself to complete your meditation. This is especially useful for those with children, who may find it difficult to meditate amidst the noise and demands of family life. You may not find time to meditate in the morning, but how about taking some time to meditate during your lunch break or in the evening? Often we can find time to meditate in the evening, especially if you can do it after dinner and before turning on the TV.

Even if you are out and about during the day, you can make time for meditation. When you go for a walk, do not be in a hurry–slow down and enjoy the moment. You will find that you have time to focus on your breathing and are able to concentrate better on the things you see and feel. If you notice that you are distracted, you can use your breathing to focus on the things around you and learn how to be less distracting to those around you. When you are in a meeting or at a social event, put your phone away and allow yourself to be truly present. As you begin to notice the things around you, you will find that you are able to focus your attention better and become more aware of how your thoughts and feelings are affecting you. If you are sitting in a waiting room, use the time to meditate by focusing your attention on the sound of your breath. Pay attention to how you breathe and how the way you breathe affects your thoughts, your feelings, and your emotions.

When you use public transport, focus on the sound of your breath and the movement of air on each inhale and exhale. You will find that this gentle meditative attention to the breath enables you more time to focus on the things you are experiencing. It may be difficult to find time to meditate when you are travelling, but you can find time by adapting to your environment as best you can and learning to take more time for yourself. If you want to meditate to music, try to listen to music that is familiar to you in a noise-free environment where there are no disturbances or distractions. If you can meditate in these moments of silence, you will have time to focus on the things you are experiencing, observe yourself and learn to become more aware of your thoughts and feelings.

You might also consider joining a meditation group so that you can learn the methods of meditation effectively before trying to meditate in an unfamiliar environment. If you have been meditating for a while, you may find that you find it easier to calm down and that you feel calmer, more relaxed and at ease when you do not have to focus on your reactions and calming your thoughts. Many meditation groups have online websites where you can find out about the style and tradition they teach and sign up for classes. The techniques and methods you learn from an experienced meditation teacher will help you achieve your personal goals of meditation and inner exploration by limiting the practise to a specific time per week that you set for yourself.

Download your free 21-day course in The Path of Mindfulness. In this life-changing 21-day mindfulness journey, Dr Allan Kilner-Johnson guides you through a series of self-guided mindfulness exercises and shows you how and when to bring mindfulness into your daily life.