A little bit of pain for a lot of comfort

My wife and I are going on a long holiday soon.

I am terrible with jet lag (in both directions) and it generally takes me 1 - 2 weeks to recover.

Last year, I found an app called Time Shifter which aims to minimise your jet lag.

In the days leading up to your flight, it instructs you what time to sleep, when to have coffee, when to have light exposure, when to not have light exposure, and so on.

For the first time in my life, I had no jet lag except a little bit on the day I landed.

The way it works is that it starts changing your schedule in the two or three days before your flight, so your body adjusts to waking up and sleeping at different times.

Yes, it is a bit annoying, but it sure beats days of waking up wide-eyed at 3 am and having a full day of work ahead of you.

It’s a little bit of pain for a lot of comfort — a trade off I would make every day of the year.

It’s reflective of so many areas in life where we can make similar trade-offs:

• Exercising in the morning keeps you energetic through the day

• Meal prepping for the week on a Sunday saves money and time

• Addressing issues head-on and early prevent major headaches later

• Investing in your education or skill sets pay off in the long run

• Saving and investing money pays off in the long-run instead of splurging

Today’s Prompts

Making your life easier

Imagine your life 10 years from now — what sacrifices will you thank yourself for?

What’s one area of your life where you could improve with a little extra discomfort?

Reflect on a time when you avoided short-term pain but regretted it later.

What’s one uncomfortable thing you’ve been procrastinating on that could bring you long-term benefits?

Quote of the day

“Discomfort is the price of admission to a meaningful life.” — Susan David

The 'If you don’t have time’ Prompt

What’s one small sacrifice you made today for a bigger payoff later?

Get the most out of your journalling:

• Choose one prompt: Focus on just one prompt each day to avoid feeling overwhelmed.

• Be brutally honest: Reflect openly and honestly. This is your safe space to explore your thoughts and feelings.

• Take your time: Sometimes it takes a few days to clarify your thinking. Here’s permission for you to take your time to unravel a prompt and not take on any new ones during that time.

• Journal your way: Whether you prefer writing, audio recording, or video, choose the method that suits you best.

• Don't stress about streaks: If you miss a day, don't worry. You can always revisit a previous prompt.

I’d love your feedback

What was your favourite prompt of the day? Is there any specific challenge you want prompts for? How can I improve the content of the newsletter? Reply this mail and let me know!