The Art of Manliness Journal Jumpstart

Here are my random ramblings that try to follow along with the points illustrated in the Art of Manliness Journaling Challenge. Feel free to leave any feedback you may have, or just start a conversation with me at me@andrewhill.io.

Doing something for around 30 days is a great way to not only build a habit, but to also explore if it’s right for you. Maybe journaling isn’t for you, and you just have never taken the time to really prove that to yourself. Or maybe you love the practice, and simply haven’t gotten into the habit yet.

2 January 2019
New Year New Goals
A reflection of accomplishments in 2018, as well as long term goal planning for 2019.
7 December 2018
Celebrate Your Successes
Don't ignore the accomplishments of your team or yourself
30 November 2018
Building Better Habits
Sometimes setting goals just isn't enough.
9 November 2018
Buying Happiness With Money
My thoughts on the common phrase "money can't buy happiness."
2 November 2018
Burnout Is A Real Thing
And if you're not careful, you won't have any rubber left to burn
26 October 2018
Take Care Of Your Ears
They're the only ones you have
19 October 2018
Being More Grateful
Rewiring my brain to show more gratitude
12 October 2018
Death Of A Friend
A short write-up of good friends, great memories, and an unexpected tragedy.
4 October 2018
A New Hobby
I love programming and building things, but it is important to have hobbies and activities you enjoy outside of what you do every day for a living.
24 September 2018
Long Term Goal Planning
It's been some time since we planned out long term goals. Let's check up on where we are and do some more long-term planning.
18 September 2018
Day 31
Reflect on the last month of journaling. Did you enjoy the experience? What did you learn about yourself? What was most difficult? Will you continue the practice? If so, take some time to map out how you’d like your journaling habit to continue.
4 September 2018
Day 30
Jot down a list of all the things you’re grateful for – big or small, broad or specific.
24 August 2018
Day 29
Excess pride can cause you to stumble, but healthy pride is a potent source of fulfillment and motivation. Write about the thing you do in your life that brings you the most pride – be it your job, a hobby, your family life and relationships, etc.
23 August 2018
Day 28
Finally in this three-day journey, we’ll consider the “tools” necessary to make your life a masterpiece. Decide which tools you need to attain, if there are any others that are needed, and how you’ll go about acquiring these tools.
22 August 2018
Day 27
The place where we live has a tremendous impact on our lives. Take a look at the eight factors that should be considered when choosing where to live. Are you living in the right place, or should you consider a move?
21 August 2018
Support sucks
Resolving tickets, answering phone calls, and dealing with other peoples' problems is not what I wake up wanting to do when I go to work.
14 August 2018
Day 26 Part 3
ACTION STEPS: With our current reality analyzed, we’re now going to set some very specific actions to fulfill our purposes and goals.
7 August 2018
Day 26 Part 2
Our roles as men are often others focused, but in order for us to serve others effectively, we need to be on top of our game personally. That’s why we need to also establish goals and purposes that focus on ourselves and our progress as men.
3 August 2018
Day 26 Part 1
For three days, we’ll work from AoM’s “Craft the Life You Want” series. Today, work on crafting a life plan. It can be a long process, so if you’re short on time, start by defining your various roles as a man, and your ultimate purpose and goals within those roles.
30 July 2018
The Webdev Community Is Awesome
A short appreciation post for how awesome my industry is
25 July 2018
Day 25
Pick 1-2 quotes from our 80 quotes on manhood and reflect on why they stand out to you.
24 July 2018
Day 24
Write down your long term goals. What do you want to have accomplished in 3 months? 6 months? A year?
23 July 2018
Day 23
Make a list of things that distract you. It could be your smartphone, or even something that’s actually beneficial, but eats up more time than you’d like. What could you do to better manage these distractions in your life?
20 July 2018
Day 22
Imagine you’ve been provided with a livable income for the rest of your life. You have no need to work, but aren’t rolling in money either. How would you spend your time? Your answer will say a lot about you and what your passion may be.
18 July 2018
Day 21
Focusing on big goals can overwhelm us into inaction. Think on the Japanese philosophy of Kaizen– simply getting 1% better each day. What’s something really small you can start doing every day that will create a compounding effect in your life?
16 July 2018
Day 20
Think about the period of your life for which you have the greatest nostalgia. Once you identify that time period, think of why you’re so nostalgic about it. What elements could you revive in your life now?
12 July 2018
Day 19
Reflect on your romantic relationship, and identify one area you’d like to improve. If you don’t have a romantic partner in your life, identify past failures you’d like to improve on. If you’ve never been in a relationship, describe your ideal one.
10 July 2018
Day 18
Identify one project you’d like to complete with your hands, whether chore or craft. Detail the steps, the resources, and the help you’ll need to complete the project. Then, set about doing it!
9 July 2018
Day 17
Hop on the internet and search for the biggest news stories in the year you were born. Think about how these news stories, or even statistics, may have shaped your childhood or who you are today.
3 July 2018
Day 16
Imagine that someone has decided to write a book about your life, up to this point. What would the cover blurb say? Are you happy with it? Now imagine what you’d like that blurb to say at the end of your life. What changes need to be made for that to happen?
26 June 2018
Day 15
Come up with your own Cabinet of Invisible Counselors. There are innumerable great men from history who we can learn from today. Write out who you would have on your list and what you admire about them.
25 June 2018
Day 14
Write a review of some form of entertainment you recently took in. Whether book or movie or TV show or Broadway play, write out what you liked and didn’t like about it. Were there any lessons to be gleaned, or was it pure entertainment (it’s okay if it was!)?
22 June 2018
Day 13
Perform a mind dump of everything you’re worried about. From the leaky dishwasher to your family member’s poor health – get it all out. (Use David Allen’s GTD trigger list to help you out if needed.)
21 June 2018
Day 12
Give stream-of-consciousness writing a try. This is where you just write out whatever comes into your head at the moment it comes into your head.
20 June 2018
Day 11
From ancient times, men developed their manhood within a group of other men. Do you have a gang of friends who push and support you? If not, how could you make some good friends?*
19 June 2018
Day 10
Identify where you are in the hero’s journey. You can take it in the context of your entire life, or within the context of a certain phase of life.
18 June 2018
Day 9
Simply write about your day. What time you woke up, what your commute was like, what you did at work, how you spent your evening. (If you’re journaling in the mornings, write about the previous day.)
15 June 2018
Day 8
Take some time to reflect on your career. Jot down a timeline of it. What was your best experience? The worst? What would you like your future to look like in regards to work?
14 June 2018
Day 7
You’ve made it one week! Reflect on what this newfound practice of journaling has been like. Have you enjoyed it? Has it been difficult? Has it been what you expected?
13 June 2018
Day 6
Write a 6-word memoir of your life so far; that is, describe your life in one six-word sentence. With this limitation, you really have to filter your life to what you deem most important.
12 June 2018
Day 5
What is your greatest dream in life?
11 June 2018
Day 4
Via negativa; today, pick a habit that you’d like to eliminate from your life. Think about the steps you’ll take to get rid of that negative habit, as well as how to keep yourself accountable.
8 June 2018
Day 3
Decide on one positive habit you’d like to implement in your life. Whether seemingly mundane (flossing) or perhaps life-altering (exercising), write out the steps you’ll take to get there.
7 June 2018
Day 2
Manliness has been defined in different ways in different times. What does manliness mean to you?
6 June 2018
Day 1
Why do you want to journal? What would you like to get out of it?