I used to feel stuck.
Not in a dramatic way.
Just this quiet heaviness like I was always doing, but not really becoming.
Then one night, while journaling, I scribbled three words at the top of the page:
Start. Stop. Continue.
I didn’t plan it.
It just came out.
And it turned into one of the simplest ways I check in with myself.
Start: the small things I’ve been avoiding
Not the big goals.
Not the “new year, new me” type stuff.
Just the quiet nudges I keep ignoring.
The little things I say I’ll do someday… but never actually start.
Like:
- drinking water before coffee
- opening the window in the morning
- calling my brother back
They seem small, but starting even one of them makes the day feel different.
Stop: the habits that pull me off track
This one hurts sometimes.
Because it asks me to look honestly at what’s not helping anymore.
Not out of guilt — but out of care.
Last month, I wrote:
Stop staying up late just because the day didn’t feel enough.
That one hit hard.
Because I realized I was punishing myself with exhaustion.
Stopping things takes courage.
But it creates space for better stuff.
Continue: the good I forget to notice
This part always brings me back.
We’re so used to chasing what’s next that we miss what’s already working.
And some things are — even if we don’t give them enough credit.
Like:
- slow breakfasts without screens
- evening walks with no destination
- writing one honest line in my notebook each night
These are the quiet wins.
The things that keep me grounded when life gets loud.
Why I still use this every week
I don’t follow a perfect routine.
Some weeks are messy.
Some weeks, I forget.
But whenever I do this check-in —
even if it's scribbled on a crumpled page —
I feel more like myself again.
It’s not about goals.
It’s about clarity.
One question to end with
What’s one thing you want to start, stop, and continue this week?
Write it down. Say it out loud. Whisper it, even.
But don’t ignore it.
Your future self is already listening.
