This is the twelfth in our series of emails called “How I Monk.” In this series we will be highlighting + celebrating members of the Monk Manual community as they’ve meaningfully applied our tools and resources to find peaceful being and purposeful doing in their everyday lives. If you’d like to be featured in a future “How I Monk,” share your information with us here… #HowIMonk
Name: Ed Healy
Occupation: Sales Manager
Where are you based: Central Massachusetts
A bit about who you are and and how you spend your days:
I am a sales manager for a Fortune 50 company. I have been married for 32 years with two grown children and one grand dog. I enjoy reading, playing the drums, yoga and meditation.
What originally drew you to the Monk Manual?
I was a runner for almost 40 years, and one of the benefits I realized while running is that it helped me work through ‘things” and at times could provide some clarity and direction as well, especially on long runs. When running became more challenging after some injuries, I was looking for another way to help me keep focused and I began journaling and found it to be helpful, but I knew I was looking for something else.
I found the Monk Manual two years ago through a targeted ad which sparked my interest, after some additional research, decided to try it, and it has become an important part of my daily life.
It has provided me with the ability to plan, act, and then reflect in a more consistent way, while still offering me the flexibility to look at the weeks and months and make any necessary adjustments.
Practical Monk Manual Tip:
I mainly use my Monk Manual at the end of the day, but I recently began filling out some sections in the morning as things do change and this allows me to make any adjustments if necessary. I also go back more frequently now to look at both the weekly and monthly pages to help refresh what I want to focus on and also to log anything, both positive and negative during this timeframe.
When you were first getting started, what part of the Monk Manual did you struggle with most?
That I HAD to fill in every line and every section.
Do you have a favorite prompt or section?
Tough to answer, but I would say it is a tie between I Am Grateful For and I’m Looking Forward To. This really helps me with gratitude, which is an area of opportunity for me.
How has your life changed since using the Monk Manual?
What I find the most interesting is how I use the Monk Manual differently now than when I first started using it. There are sections I focus on now that I didn’t use as much and I anticipate this will continue as life changes and evolves.
What suggestions would you give to new Monk Manual users?
My suggestion would be to start slow and use the manual as you want. As I mentioned earlier, I use my Monk Manual differently now than when I first started. There are also times that I use some sections more and some sections less based on how I am feeling.
If you’d like to be featured in a future “How I Monk,” share your information with us here.
