This brain exercise might be one of the kindest things you could do for yourself.

If you could create the most perfect day imaginably, what would it look like? Many people go about their days on autopilot without making intentions or planning ahead for what they desire more of. In life, we all must make choices. Sometimes, the vast options available can make it quite overwhelming to forge ahead in any set direction, and we tend to stay where we are because it feels secure.

However, as the popular saying goes, growth never happens in the safety net, in the quiet shelter and security of the familiar. If we want growth and change to happen in our lives, we have to take action. And the first step to initiating change is to create a plan of action. If you don’t plan what you want and set clear goals, you set yourself up for failure long before you even begin.

In order to transform your life, you need a template to follow, a guideline you can refer to so you can better optimize your days.

This Brain Exercise Is The Most Powerful One You’ll Ever Do

journal exercise

Very appropriately named the Perfect Day Itinerary, writing out how your perfect day would unfold can give you that starting point from which to create a more fulfilling life. Many entrepreneurs have done this exercise to give themselves direction and make sure each day is jam-packed with only activities that will help them achieve their goals.

If you want to manifest the life you’ve always wanted, it helps to have an idea of how you should spend your days so that you can actively work toward realizing your dreams. The exercise consists of two parts: the macro and the micro, and we will go over each below.

Part 1: The Macro

So, to introduce you to this idea, the macro deals with the bigger picture. The overarching goals, desires, and thoughts you wish to focus on to live your best life. This exercise will lead into the micro, so the goal in part 1 is to simply get some vision in your head of what your perfect day would look like. To get started, you will need to write down some questions and answer them as honestly and thoroughly as possible. Here are the basic questions you need to answer before we move on to part 2:

  • What do I want every day to look like?
  • How will I be spending most of my time?
  • How do I want my life to feel?
  • What people will I spend my time with?
  • Where will I spend my time?
  • What passion(s) am I following?

Really take the time to contemplate what kind of life you want to live and what you wish to spend most of your time doing. For this to work, you need to have a clear idea of what you want, who you want to spend your time with, and where you will spend it. Of course, your answers might change over time, and that’s perfectly fine. You just want to go with what you feel in your heart because your intuition is never wrong.

Either write down your answers or type them out in a word document so you can refer to them later. Use the bottom half of the page to write or type out the second part of this exercise, which we will discuss below.

Part 2: The Micro

Now, use your answers to the questions above to fill out a detailed itinerary for your perfect day. If you truly want to achieve a goal, no matter how big or small, you need to have a clearly mapped out plan for how you will spend every minute of your day. This way, you can assure that your time is used wisely, and isn’t wasted on superfluous activities. Here’s an example of a Perfect Day Itinerary to give you an idea of how it should look:

  • 7:30 a.m. Stretch, meditate, and reflect on the day ahead
  • 8 a.m. Have a healthy, nutritious breakfast of a smoothie or bowl of oatmeal
  • 9 a.m. Go for a run or some type of exercise
  • 10:45 a.m. Check in to see what tasks I need to complete for the day
  • 11 a.m. Do the first three tasks on my list
  • 12 p.m. Have a nutrient-rich lunch at home or with an inspiring friend
  • 1:30 p.m. Continue working on the top three tasks on my list
  • 3 p.m. Take some time to stretch, meditate, and listen to an inspiring podcast or YouTube channel
  • 5 p.m. Go outside to get some fresh air, play a sport with friends, walk on the beach
  • 7:30 p.m. Make a delicious healthy dinner at home
  • 9 p.m. Read a book or hang out with friends
  • 11 p.m. Write down what I’m most grateful for before bed, and write down what I need to complete tomorrow.
  • 11:30 p.m. Meditate before bed

exercise

Final Thoughts on This Journal Exercise

It seems very simple, but writing down a detailed outline of how you will spend your day can set you up to achieve your dreams and create the life you have always wanted. However, having a clear vision of what you want is vital to this exercise working in your life. If you don’t know what you want out of life, take some time to go deep within and think about what makes your heart the happiest. You might have to squeeze in some activities around work or school, but if you really want something in life, you will make it happen. You just need to believe in yourself, trust the process, breathe, and most importantly, love and take care of yourself!