The Pulse of a Life Well Lived - A Wellness Talk by Bryce Smith

What is fitness?

Most people think of it as how much you can lift… how fast you can run… how long you can last.

But I’ve come to realize fitness isn’t just how far you can push—it’s how well you can recover.

It’s not just the size of your engine—it’s the quality of your steering.

Fitness is the capacity to meet the moment—physically, mentally, emotionally… and spiritually.

It’s being prepared for life—not just a race. 

It’s what you want, when you want, and not having any limitations towards your peak expression. This doesn’t just exist. It’s earned: day in and day out. 

For most of my life, I was a pusher.

I grew up a competitive athlete—basketball, CrossFit, whatever lit the fire.

I played for top teams. I trained like a madman. I didn’t skip days—I stacked them.

Work ethic became my currency. Self-reliance was my religion.

And for a while… that served me.

Until it didn’t.

Because if you always push… eventually, something pushes back.

Injury. Burnout. Numbness.

You start wondering:

Is all this effort making me better… or just busier?

And that’s when I discovered the other side of the coin:

It’s not always about doing more.

It’s about becoming more.

What if success wasn’t just about hustle… but harmony?

I started slowing down—not to stop, but to speed up.

I started “working in”—breathwork, cold plunges, journaling, regulating my nervous system.

That shift from doing to being changed everything.

I stopped chasing outcomes.

I started attracting alignment.

It’s like the breath—inhale, exhale.

Like the seasons—summer burns, but winter restores.

Like the heart—it accelerates, but it also returns to stillness.

This is the dance of life:

Yin and yang.

Hot and cold.

Fight and surrender.

Chase and attract.

Wellness lives in the space between effort and ease.

So what is wellness?

To me, it’s the practice of remembering what you love—

And doing those things…

With people you love…

In places that make you feel alive.

It’s about living in rhythm with your truth,

And letting your heart—your actual heart—set the pace.

Did you know the average human heart beats about 75 times per minute?

Multiply that by 60 minutes, then by 24 hours, then by 365 days…

Do the math, and over 80 years, that’s over 3 billion heartbeats.

3 billion chances to feel something.

To love. To move. To express.

Now consider this:

A well-trained heart might beat just 55 times per minute at rest.

That’s 20 fewer beats every minute. Over decades…

That’s not just numbers—that’s time.

Time for more memories. More sunsets. More connection.

This is the power of wellness.

It doesn’t just make you live longer. It makes you live deeper.

And while your heart sets the pace, your environment sets the tone.

You’ve heard it before: you are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with.

So ask yourself…

Are you sitting at tables filled with gossip and complaints?

Or are you sweating in saunas, breathing in ice baths, hiking mountains, sharing ideas that light you up?

You don’t just need community—you need aligned community.

My point today isn’t to sell you a protocol.

It’s to remind you that this is your life.

You don’t need to do more. You need to be more aware.

Of your breath. Of your circle. Of your choices.

Wellness isn’t about perfection.

It’s about connection.

With your body. With your people. With your purpose.

So the next time your heart beats—

Remember that it’s not just keeping you alive.

It’s keeping you present. It’s your rhythm. Your drum. Your inner metronome.

And every beat is a reminder:

You are here.

You are alive.

And you get to choose.

Choose well.

Choose connection.

Choose a life that isn’t just long—but fully lived. 

Stay on the hunt for who you’ve not yet become. 

The Sacred Power of Boredom — Unlocking Magic Through Stillness, Simplicity, and Consistency

Let’s be real.

We live in a world addicted to stimulation — scrolls, notifications, to-do lists, hustle porn, and the endless pressure to do more. We chase dopamine like it’s our full-time job. But here’s the truth most won’t tell you: you don’t need more. You need less. Less noise. Less distraction. Less chasing.

What you really need is boredom.

That’s right. I said it.

Boredom isn’t the enemy — it’s the doorway. The forgotten portal. The still place between the chaos. And inside that stillness? That’s where your true life lives.

Boredom is the Beginning

When I tore my hamstring during my CrossFit competition days — mid-prep for Regionals — I spiraled. No training. No movement. Just stillness. And in that silence? I found clarity. Not in a podcast or a supplement or a fancy coach… but in being still enough to listen to my life.

Boredom pulled me inward. And that inner world? It’s where the real work begins.

Why We Run From It

Boredom terrifies people. It forces us to confront what we’ve been avoiding. Who we are without the grind. Without the applause. Without the likes or the next hit of caffeine.

But here’s what I’ve learned from pro basketball, CrossFit Games prep, and grieving the loss of both my parents:

Avoiding boredom is avoiding depth. And avoiding depth is avoiding yourself.

The ALLSMITH Ethos: Consistency Over Chaos

At ALLSMITH, we train for real life. That means we embrace the boring basics:

• Push

• Pull

• Squat

• Hinge

• Carry

• Monostructural movement (walk, run, row, bike)

• Iso holds

• Hanging

• Play

These aren’t flashy. They don’t always “go viral.” But they’re timeless. Ancestral. Real. Like eating wild food, spending time in nature, and getting sunlight on your skin.

The most powerful things in life are often the most overlooked — until you finally need them.

We aren’t here to give you more chaos. We’re here to guide you back to the simple. The primal. The true.

Stillness is a Superpower

Remember being a kid? Sitting in the grass. Watching bugs crawl. Throwing rocks into rivers. That was presence. That was creativity. That was life before the algorithm hijacked your nervous system.

Now, people can’t sit alone in a room for five minutes without reaching for a screen. But you want better sleep? A clearer mind? True energy and focus?

Then schedule your boredom.

• Go for a walk without headphones.

• Sit in the sauna and breathe.

• Stare at a tree for ten minutes.

• Journal before grabbing your phone.

• Watch your dog live in the moment and learn from it.

This isn’t laziness. It’s rewilding your brain. It’s coming back home.

The Boredom Blueprint: Structure that Liberates

The world wants to sell you magic pills. At ALLSMITH, we give you structure that saves you.

Here’s how to start:

1. Reclaim Your Morning

Sunlight. Hydration. Breath. Movement. No phone. Just presence. Boredom by design.

2. Eat Real Food

Not ingredients you can’t pronounce. Not gimmick diets. Just real food — how our ancestors did it. Grass-fed, wild-caught, picked, pulled, and prepared with love.

3. Move Daily (even if it’s “boring”)

Embrace repetition. Chase form over fatigue. Be the person who falls in love with the warm-up, not just the PR.

4. Do Less. Do It Better. Do It Consistently.

One breath at a time. One rep at a time. One boring-ass walk at a time.

From Loss to Leadership

When I lost my mom, I didn’t know how to move forward. But I kept showing up to the basics. Walks. Saunas. Journaling. Hanging from a bar. Connecting with my breath. The rituals gave me rhythm. They didn’t numb the pain — they gave it purpose.

That’s what ALLSMITH is about.

Not hiding from life. But meeting it fully.

This is Your Wake-Up Call

You don’t need another guru.

You don’t need another supplement stack.

You don’t need to chase more.

You need to sit still long enough to hear the whispers of your soul.

Boredom is the bell that rings when your inner world is ready to speak.

Are you brave enough to listen?

Action Steps for the ALLSMITH Community

Here’s how to start living this:

✅ Carve out 10 minutes of boredom daily — no tech, no agenda.

✅ Train the basics — push, pull, squat, hinge, hang, hold, and play.

✅ Eat what your grandparents would recognize — wild, clean, and cooked with love.

✅ Schedule boredom like it’s a meeting with your future self.

✅ Connect with community — train with us, hike with us, laugh with us. The antidote to distraction is connection.

Join Us

🎙️ Listen to the ALLSMITH Podcast — real stories, real people, real impact.

🧠 Sign up for ALLSMITH Lifestyle Design — physical, mental, emotional alignment.

🧢 Grab the gear — ALLSMITH Apparel is now live and made to remind you that simplicity is strength.

🌍 Be part of the movement — We’re building more than a business. We’re building a tribe.

Stillness is not stagnation. It’s activation.

So embrace the boredom. Trust the process. And remember — magic doesn’t come from the chaos.

It’s born in the quiet.

See you in the stillness,

– Bryce Smith

Founder, ALLSMITH

www.allsmith.co

@therealbrycesmith | @allsmithco

Michael Macchiavello | What If Winning Is the Most Dangerous Thing You Can Chase?

Episode 85 Title:

Michael Macchiavello | What If Winning Is the Most Dangerous Thing You Can Chase?

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Episode Description:

In this iron-sharpens-iron edition of the ALLSMITH Podcast, Bryce sits down with NCAA Champion, Pan-Am Gold Medalist, and ASICS athlete Michael Macchiavello — a man who didn’t just wrestle opponents… he wrestled with identity, ego, and the high cost of success.

Because here’s the truth no one talks about:

Sometimes, the crown weighs more than the climb.

Sometimes, the win steals more than the loss ever could.

This episode is a masterclass in mindset, adversity, faith, and the fire required to keep your soul intact when the world hands you gold. Macchiavello opens up about training for greatness, the dangers of being defined by your results, and what it really means to forge purpose through pressure.

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Timestamps:

00:00 – Intro: Pressure is a Privilege

03:12 – From Underdog to NCAA Champion

10:45 – Wrestling with Identity and Ego

18:29 – The Discipline Behind the Spotlight

25:00 – When Winning Isn’t Enough

31:16 – Spiritual Anchors & Faith as Fuel

38:50 – Freestyle vs. Folkstyle — The Inner Evolution

46:30 – What Makes a Champion Beyond the Medal

54:40 – Leadership, Legacy, and Living with Intention

1:01:22 – ALLSMITH Law: Purpose Through Pressure

1:07:10 – Macchiavello’s Challenge to the Next Generation

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Thought-Provoking Questions for the Listener:

– Are you addicted to the applause or aligned with your purpose?

– What would be left of you if your title, income, or platform disappeared tomorrow?

– Do you truly know who you are when the scoreboard goes blank?

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Calls to Action (Make Them Count):

If this episode moved you, do your part to grow the mission:

– Follow:

@therealbrycesmith | @allsmithco |

@mike_macch |

@asicswrestling |

– Tag the podcast in your stories and reels

– Watch on YouTube and drop a comment with your favorite quote

– Share this episode with one friend who needs a mindset reset

– Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts

– Rate and review on Apple & Spotify — it fuels the fire

– Support the vision by repping the ALLSMITH lifestyle at http://www.allsmith.co

LISTEN on APPLE , SPOTIFY, or YOUTUBE

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This isn’t just a podcast.

This is a forge.

And today, you just stepped into the fire.

Let’s go.

ALLSMITH Nutrition Guidelines: Fueling a Life of Strength, Simplicity, and Satisfaction

When it comes to nutrition, ALLSMITH is all about keeping it simple, sustainable, and satisfying. Food isn’t just fuel; it’s an opportunity to build muscle, burn fat, boost energy, and enjoy life. The goal isn’t to follow a rigid diet but to create a lifestyle where healthy eating becomes second nature — while still giving yourself the freedom to enjoy a burger, pizza, or margarita without guilt.

Here’s the ALLSMITH nutrition philosophy, inspired by the 10 Primal Fitness Laws from The Primal Blueprint:

1. Eat Real Food – Mostly Plants and Protein.

If it comes from the earth or has a mother, you’re good to go. Prioritize high-quality proteins like grass-fed beef, pasture-raised eggs, wild-caught fish, and free-range chicken to build muscle and keep you full. Pair that with a colorful variety of fruits and veggies for fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Avoid ultra-processed foods whenever possible — if you can’t pronounce the ingredients, it probably doesn’t belong in your body.

Pro Tip: Make every plate a “3-for-3”: protein, produce, and healthy fats. For example, grilled salmon, avocado, and roasted veggies. Simple, delicious, effective.

2. Don’t Fear Fat – Embrace the Right Kinds.

Fat doesn’t make you fat; the right fats help you burn fat and think clearly. Avocados, olive oil, nuts, seeds, and fatty fish should be your go-to sources. Stay away from industrial seed oils and trans fats that wreck your hormones and zap your energy.

Pro Tip: Cook with avocado oil, drizzle olive oil on salads, and snack on a handful of almonds when hunger strikes.

3. Prioritize Protein – Muscle Is Your Metabolic Currency.

Muscle isn’t just for looking good — it’s your insurance policy for long-term health. Protein is the building block for muscle, recovery, and a metabolism that burns hotter than a California summer. Aim for 0.8–1 gram of protein per pound of body weight if you’re training hard.

Pro Tip: Start your day with protein (eggs, Greek yogurt, or a protein shake) and center every meal around it.

4. Carbs Are Tools – Use Them Wisely.

Carbs aren’t the enemy; they’re energy. Just be strategic. Stick to slow-digesting sources like oats, sweet potatoes, berries, quinoa, and rice to fuel your workouts and support recovery. If fat loss is your goal, adjust carbs based on your activity level — more carbs on hard training days, fewer on rest days.

Pro Tip: Think of carbs like gas in a car. If you’re hitting the gym hard, fill the tank. If you’re chilling, ease up.

5. Hydrate Like It’s Your Job.

Water is the ultimate performance enhancer — and it’s free. Dehydration leads to brain fog, muscle cramps, and low energy. Aim for half your body weight in ounces of water per day and add electrolytes when sweating or fasting.

Pro Tip: Start every morning with a tall glass of water and a pinch of sea salt to rehydrate after sleep.

6. Enjoy the Things You Love — Guilt-Free.

A life without tacos, ice cream, or a cold beer with friends? No thanks. The ALLSMITH approach is all about balance. Stick to the basics 80% of the time, and when you do indulge, do it with full presence and zero guilt.

Pro Tip: Schedule your indulgences around social events or moments that matter. Savor it, then get back to your routine.

7. Move Often, Fuel Accordingly.

Your body is designed to move, and your diet should support that movement. On active days, eat more. On recovery days, scale back. Overthinking calories and macros leads to burnout — instead, tune in to your hunger and energy signals.

Pro Tip: After workouts, refuel with protein and carbs. After a rest day, enjoy more fiber and healthy fats.

8. Fast Occasionally – But Don’t Force It.

Intermittent fasting can help reset your hunger cues and improve metabolic health. But it’s not a requirement. Listen to your body. A simple 12- to 16-hour overnight fast works wonders for energy, digestion, and mental clarity.

Pro Tip: Stop eating a few hours before bed, and push breakfast back a bit in the morning — let your body tap into stored fat for fuel.

9. Ditch the Diet Mentality – Build Habits for Life.

Diets are like cheap furniture — they fall apart fast. The key is to build habits that stick. Focus on consistency over perfection. Eat mindfully, avoid extremes, and stay curious about how food makes you feel.

Pro Tip: Treat every meal as a learning opportunity. If you feel sluggish after certain foods, adjust.

10. Let Food Fuel Your Lifestyle – Not Control It.

Food should energize you, not control your thoughts or emotions. At ALLSMITH, we aim to build a lifestyle where you feel strong, sharp, and capable without being shackled to calorie counting or restrictive rules.

Pro Tip: Remember: the best diet is the one you can maintain while living your best life.

ALLSMITH Nutrition Motto:

“Eat real food. Fuel for performance. Indulge without guilt. Repeat.”

Simplify your nutrition. Show up for your workouts. Enjoy your life. That’s the ALLSMITH way.

#ALLSMITH

The Lonely Chapter: A Rite of Passage to Your Greatest Self

There’s a chapter in every journey that few talk about, but everyone faces—the Lonely Chapter. It’s the stretch of road where the crowd thins, distractions fade, and the real work begins. This isn’t just about chasing dreams; it’s about the sacrifices, the discipline, and the relentless pursuit of something greater than yourself.

In the ALLSMITH world, we know this phase well. It’s the grind before the glory, the silence before the breakthrough. It’s when you realize that growth often demands solitude—when leveling up means leaving behind old habits, comfort zones, and sometimes even relationships that no longer serve your purpose.

As Alex Hormozi and Chris Williamson put it, the Lonely Chapter isn’t a punishment; it’s a rite of passage. The world rewards those willing to embrace the discomfort of this season. It’s the space where you sharpen your skills, refine your mindset, and build the resilience that sets you apart from the rest.

But here’s the key—lonely doesn’t mean alone. This chapter is where you find yourself. It’s where you establish who you are, what you stand for, and why you’re willing to do what others won’t. The ALLSMITH community is built on the belief that these moments shape our future, and they’re worth every ounce of effort.

So, if you’re in that phase right now—keep going. Lean into the solitude, embrace the grind, and trust that on the other side is the version of you that you’ve always envisioned. The Lonely Chapter is not where the story ends; it’s where it truly begins.

Stay the course. Trust the process. Build the life you were meant for.

#ALLSMITH

8 Reasons to Integrate Unilateral Training

One of my favorite things about training and working out is the almost limitless options to gain strength, build muscle, increase range of motion, and feel better over all. If you aren’t careful, this can lead to some paralysis by analysis which is why it’s always great to hire a coach. I might know a guy!

Most good functional training programs have a wide variety of bilateral (both sides working at same time) movements that consist of squats, deadlifts, presses, pulls, the Olympic weightlifting movements of cleans, snatches, and jerks, jumps, and some integration of nonstructural movements like rowing and skiing. 

All of these are great, but after 20+ years in athletics, professional basketball, and coaching a wide array of athletes, I’d like to make a simple observation: almost all athletic movements are done unilaterally. Whether on a field, court, track, bike, skates, or other athletic arena, many of the movements are in a unilateral (single side) fashion. This does not mean unilateral is better than bilateral, but it is definitely worth highlighting a bit as unilateral work often gets overlooked. 

What is Unilateral Training? 

This is when we actively train one side of the body at a time. Rather than traditional lifts – i.e. back squats and bench press – that have us performing bilateral movements (both limbs/sides at the same time) we focus on only at a time to fully isolate that portion of the body.

Benefits of Unilateral Training

Correct Imbalances

By solely performing bilateral lifts like squats and deadlifts, many imbalances may go unnoticed, often hidden by the body’s natural tendency to compensate. 

Core Stabilization

With unilateral training, you can challenge your core muscles to support the imbalanced load, promoting sound movement patterns.

Boost Sport Performance

Sport and power athletes can and should integrate unilateral training as part of their assistance work to bulletproof their bodies and practice how they play.

Decrease Injury Risk

Injuries often result from overuse, muscular imbalances, or poor movement. Unilateral training offers coaches and athletes the ability to isolate specific movements, muscles, and joints to increase symmetry of muscular development and movement. 

Improve Muscular Stimulation

The ability to isolate and train individual movements and muscles on a unilateral basis could help promote muscular development and growth. Muscle growth in size for the win!

Speed Injury Recovery

Muscular injuries happen and, unfortunately, they might deter you from exercising regularly. The science implies that unilateral training will not only strengthen the muscles being worked but also has positive effects of strength and muscle on the contralateral (opposite) side.

Develop Motor Skills

Studies suggest that motor engrams — memorized movement patterns stored in the motor area of the brain — may develop after performing unilateral movements. This can help with reaction time along with integral movement patterns in life. 

Create Program Variance and Mind/Muscle Connection

New movement patterns and integrating something different can be a great way to enhance benefits for athletes while refraining from overuse and burn out. It can also be a great way for athletes to build a better relationship with how they move and discrepancies between each side which can heavily influence mobility protocols and focus points in program design and accessory work. 

Examples of Unilateral Movements

The possibilities are nearly endless but here’s a few examples of movements I like to incorporate when training my clients:

1. Single-Arm Dumbbell Bench Press
2. Single-Arm Dumbbell Shoulder Press 
3. Reverse Lunges
4. Alternating Cossack Squats
5. Single-Leg Box Step-Up/Step-Downs
6. Single-Arm Dumbbell Row
7. Suitcase Carries
8. Waiter Carries
9. Single-Leg Kettlebell Deadlifts & Single-Leg Deadlifts
10. Single-Arm Kettlebell Sit-Ups

And the list goes on!

If you’re bored of repeating the same movements over and over, and want to spice it up a bit, give some of these movements a shot and let the gains flow! Let us know in the comments some of the unilateral movements you enjoy implementing in your training!

Simple Ways To Use Exercise When You Feel Overwhelmed

Next time you are in a funk, feeling overwhelmed with life, or feel the weight of the world on your shoulders, try these exercise-related tools for managing and overcoming those thoughts and feelings. 

1. Put on your favorite playlist and let it lift your mood.

Listening to music increases blood flow to brain regions that generate and control emotions (2). The limbic system, which is involved in processing emotions and controlling memory, “lights” up when our ears perceive music.

Music can generate momentum. It can help trigger memory and motivation. Lean into the artistic magic that music provides and allow it to serve you in pursuit of creating action to move, get outside, or exercise, which provide their own benefits.

2. Move your body. Go for a walk or hit a workout.

Being in the same place for too long allows for our thoughts to spiral. Our world is so full of energy and changing the environment can help shift the energy and vary the stimulus to our senses. This can spark new thoughts and new brain activity. Movement really is medicine! Integrating activities like going for a walk, noticing where you are holding on to tension, and using the breath and the mindset to let go of things no longer serving you can be a great way to decrease overwhelming feelings. “The mental benefits of exercise have a neurochemical basis.  Exercise reduces levels of the body’s stress hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol. It also stimulates the production of endorphins, chemicals in the brain that are the body’s natural painkillers and mood elevators. Endorphins are responsible for the “runner’s high” and for the feelings of relaxation and optimism that accompany many hard workouts — or, at least, the hot shower after your exercise is over (1).”

3. Use your breath!

We all experience overwhelming feelings. It is normal to be impacted by stress but to use the many tools listed in this article to better manage our physiology. Life can find ways to up regulate and down regulate our systems and our lenses on the world determine how much we value or do not value certain stressors. Something interesting that I thought about recently is that we can go weeks without food, days without water, but only minutes without air. Our breath can be one of the most valuable tools for managing stress and serving as a control valve for stress management. Strive to nasal breathe as much as possible in your day to day lives. Obviously with high intensity exercise, mouth breathing may be required, but enhanced nasal breathing during activities of daily living, working, sleeping, and low intensity exercise can be a game changer for your health and physiology management. 

Check out the XPT+ app for breathing protocols to help with breathwork guidance. You can also check out the book titled “The Oxygen Advantage” which can be a great tool to better understand how our breath impacts our world. Breathing through the nose can create awareness of the breath and assist with slowing down breathing patterns so its not so rapid and anxious. This type of breathing activates the vagus nerve which regulates our nervous system and helps us control our fight or flight response to down regulate into a rest and digest state (7). Better management of our physiology can help with better decision making, enhanced mood, and a higher quality of life. 

Stress will come and go and challenges will always be present, but having access to the right tools can provide a great service to create actionables rather than marinating in stressful situations. So many of us get stressed about being stressed and then feel overwhelmed. These 3 tips will help you when you need it most. 

Leave comments below as to how these things have helped you and also please share any additional thoughts you may have that can help others. Send me a message on Instagram (@therealbrycesmith) and share your journey with overcoming challenges and the strategies used to reach a better state. 

Citations

1. Amanda Ruiz MS, LPC. “6 Ways to Cope When You Are Feeling Overwhelmed.” The Counseling Collective, The Counseling Collective, 22 May 2023, www.discovercounselingcollective.com/blog/2020/10/13/6-ways-to-cope-when-you-are-feeling-overwhelmed. 

2. “Exercising to Relax – Harvard Health Publishing.” Harvard Health, 7 July 2020, www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/exercising-to-relax#:~:text=Exercise%20reduces%20levels%20of%20the,natural%20painkillers%20and%20mood%20elevators. 

3. Identity vs. Process: Reinterpreting Failure | Mark England | Tedxrva, www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-6as-5dxSs. Accessed 3 Nov. 2023. 

4. Jäncke, Lutz. “Music, Memory and Emotion.” Journal of Biology, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 8 Aug. 2008, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2776393/. 

5. Park, Alice. “The Sun and Your Mood: Why Sunlight Is so Good for You.” Time, Time, 7 Aug. 2017, time.com/4888327/why-sunlight-is-so-good-for-you/. 

6. YouTube, 7 Nov. 2023, https://youtu.be/X4VGGgOuFsU?si=u7uYJy2j67SDzxGF. Accessed 9 Nov. 2023. 

7. “Are You A Mouth Breather? Learn Why Breathing through Your Nose Is Best.” Henry Ford Health – Detroit, MI, www.henryford.com/blog/2022/10/nose-vs-mouth-breathing. Accessed 9 Nov. 2023. 

The Life Changing Habit You Should Start Today

After many years in high level sports, twelve years of coaching, three years of podcasting, and countless conversations with some of the world’s most incredible humans, I have discovered a common thread in just about all of them. 

We are all a bundle of stories. Our worlds are heavily influenced by how we talk to ourselves, and the stories we tell ourselves based on life’s events. Keeping these stories bouncing around in our head isn’t a big deal in the beginning, but overtime, we accumulate more and more stories and without writing them down it becomes an unorganized library with books and pages everywhere. 

You see, writing helps us better understand our thoughts, our feelings, the events in our lives, and as I say often, “Writing fills the gaps within our thinking.” It helps us to create meaning. Below is some structure to help with this life changing habit you should start today. The habit is called journaling. I used to get touchy feely about this word and it had a negative connotation for me. So I prefer to think of it as brain dumping and mindset organizing. Let’s unpack this a bit.

Five journaling prompts for any day 

If you want to prime yourself for success each day, answer the following 5 questions:

1. What am I grateful for today?

What does this do? It immediately shifts your mind into a positive mindset. Negativity is typically louder and generates more attention than positivity. It can be heavy, overbearing, and block out the positive light from sneaking in. Asking this question each morning helps to leverage the small crack in the blinds into a reservoir of gratitude and magic. I suggest leaning in to show appreciation for waking up, what you have, where you are, the people you love, and the circumstances that you have. This will give you excitement for the day and enhance your mood. For an enhanced thought experiment, ask yourself: What little miracles could happen today?

2. What is the most important task today? Or, which task has been weighing heavy on me recently that when accomplished will be a large weight off of my shoulders?

What does this do? We all have so much going on all the time. In a world with so much stimulus, it’s easy to develop paralysis by analysis and end up in a state of freeze and procrastination. This question gives clarity on your priorities for the day and helps steer you down a path to start. I highly suggest  choosing the most important task of the day that is going to move your needle forward closer to your goal. If nothing else were to get done today, this one task should be accomplished and enhance the quality of your life. 

Another perspective on the days where it is harder to generate momentum could be: What is the easiest task or lowest hanging fruit on my to do list today? I sometimes like this approach because it builds momentum and usually bridges to other tasks that I can seamlessly cross off my list. This gives me a feeling of accomplishment and a sense of confidence to then attack the bigger tasks that have a larger barrier to entry or may be more difficult in nature. 

3. How am I feeling right now? 

This is a lost art. Starting from your toes and gradually working your way up your body, check in with yourself and how you are feeling. What are the major thoughts that are taking up a lot of space and time? What are some major wins for you lately? What foods, drinks, and habits are helping versus hurting you? How’s your thinking? Are you feeling clear and concise or foggy and chaotic? This is meant to be a personal exploration to gain insight into where you are in that moment and then can be a great comparison tool for you later. 

Documenting it can help keep tabs on your health and wellbeing and enhance your ability to communicate with your doctor, body workers, coaches, and loved ones. Personal pattern recognition can be a wonderful tool for forward progress.This is a really great question to check in with yourself and bring attention to lingering problems, gradual improvements or enhancements based on recent behaviors, or emotions that need some extra attention

4. What’s working right now? What could be better?

I don’t recommend doing this question every single day as it takes some time to generate a pulse on decisions and habits to better see their progress or detriment to our well being and goals. There are obvious ones like food, sleep, relationships, alcohol, etc, but there are also micro moments that can take some time to reveal their impact on our lives. This habit is a great one to access weekly and make sure you are on the right path. 

It is helpful to keep our daily habits in alignment with our goals, prevent distractions, and help to course correct when necessary. A great metaphor for this journal prompt is like swimming in open water, it’s necessary to pop your head up on occasion, find some sort of landmark or spot, and then ensure you are swimming in that direction. In swimming and in life, it’s easy to fall off the path if we don’t take a peak on occasion.

5. What noteworthy moment took place yesterday that is worth documenting?

It’s easy to get lost in the mundane of the day to day. We bounce from one thing to another, go to work, eat, solve problems, pay bills, use the restroom, and repeat. Sometimes it’s easy to forget the magic of each day if we don’t carve out the time to highlight it. This is my way of showing appreciation to my life. It feels like nothing happens, but then we look back and our lives change a lot. It is gradual and incremental progress. Just like journaling. It may feel like nothing is happening and that it is another task in your day, but the mental clarity and mindset shifts can do wonders for your performance and relationship with life. 

This question also helps to enhance our memory and ability to share stories. I love using it to create pivotal landmarks that heavily impact my life. It is a great way to reflect on an interesting interaction, an observation, a funny moment, and a great conversation. Keep it simple most times and when you feel artsy, add some detail and some color to make the memory more vibrant. We don’t go to our graves with money or stuff, but rather the memories we made along the way.

Summary:

1. What am I grateful for today?

2. What is the most important task today? Or maybe, which task has been weighing heavy on me recently that when accomplished will be a large weight off my shoulders?

3. How am I feeling right now? 

4. What’s working right now? What could be better?

5. What noteworthy moment took place yesterday that is worth documenting?

This practice doesn’t have to be complicated 

I went into great detail of these 5 questions to help mold your mindset, give you prompts and ideas for your own practice, but the truth is, journaling doesn’t have to be a major task! 

Oftentimes, I start a 5 minute timer on my phone and I brain dump in each one of these categories. Other days, I write a few words, draw pictures, or write a novel. As humans we are malleable creatures that are never truly the same in the day to day. These habits help us develop routine and self exploration so we can continue to refine our choices and live life on our terms. It is a nice recap to see what is serving us and what isn’t. 

It is a nice way for us to better get to know ourselves and have a tool to better connect with and understand each other. Have some fun with this and please let me know how it goes. I had heavy resistance in beginning a writing and journaling practice, but after seeing this as a common thread in most of my high performing clients and podcast guests, I surrendered to the practice of journaling and have never looked back. 

I’d love to hear from you so please send me an email to bryce@allsmith.co, or find me on instagram @allsmithco and @therealbrycesmith.