Review of all the first seven exercises


In creating the "Count 40" workshop, our objective was to capture the essence of Elul and what it has meant to the Jewish nation throughout the ages. As the time directly preceding "Our day of Judgment", Elul is the perfect opportunity to begin the process of improvement, development of the self, relationships, and a reinforced commitment to H'shem. For this reason, we chose those three areas to focus on in our workshop.

B"H you are accompanied by hundreds of other group members from around the world all working towards the same goal. You are also on a private journey, working through your personal struggles and challenges.

For this program to really work for you, it is imperative that you implement the daily exercises in the three areas that we have chosen, as well as in your own personal development of self.

Inventory Day

We have just completed the first interval in our journey. Today is inventory day, a review of where you started from, where you are and where you would like to be.

For those who have been working with us, it is time to reevaluate your end goals and ensure you are progressing steadily. For those who have recently joined, now is the time to write down your end goals in self–improvement that you would like to achieve before standing in front of H'shem on Rosh Hashana.

We are quickly approaching the day that will determine the fate of the next year of our lives. Our experiences in the last year have taught us, the opportunity to improve ourselves, our relationships, and our commitment to GD should not be taken lightly.

Exercise: Seven-Day Review

Below is a brief summary of the seven first exercises from the Count 40 workshop. At the end of each day's summary evaluate how you have grown in the focused exercise. Mark your progress by jotting down brief notes next to each subject. For a more thorough review, visit the site and reread the posts that require more analyses: https://count40.blogspot.com/

Day 1: Embracing Strengths and Weaknesses

I have strengths and weaknesses, all parts that makeup who I am. My objective is to use my positive attributes, as well as my struggles to serve H'shem. The only way I can achieve this is by recognizing all the boundless and continuous gifts H'shem has blessed me with. When I internalize with gratitude and appreciate how much H'shem cares for me, I can see my struggles as acts of love from H'shem pushing me to levels I would otherwise never push myself to achieve, embracing the struggle and allowing them to strengthen me.

  1. Communication:
  2. Self-Improvement:
  3. Emuna, Bitachon and Tefilah:
  4. Personal Goals:

Day 2: Accountability and Motivation

Taking accountability for who I am, should not discourage me, it should empower me to want to be better. Motivation must be a constant state of mind so as not to let the Satan sabotage my goals and progress with dejection and negativity. We all struggle, H'shem is rooting for us. I have to commit to improving my indiscretions, now more than ever.

  1. Communication:
  2. Self-Improvement:
  3. Emuna, Bitachon and Tefilah:
  4. Personal Goals:

Day 3: Renewing Vows with G-d

The 40 days of Elul through Yom Kippur, commemorate the renewal of vows between H'shem and the Jewish nation. It is an illustration of the eternal bond between us, solidified by being forgiven for Chet H'Agel and receiving the second Luchot H'Brit as our wedding gift. The effort we put into feeling H'shem's immense closeness during this time, simultaneously working to better ourselves through character improvement, and Avodas H'shem brings the experience back to life.

  1. Communication:
  2. Self-Improvement:
  3. Emuna, Bitachon and Tefilah:
  4. Personal Goals:

Day 4: Overcoming Autopilot

Your busy life often puts you in a state of autopilot. This state creates a barrier between how you want to react and your impulsive reactions. By awakening the frontal thinking part of your brain, you can choose to act with thought and intent improving your behavior and relationships.

  1. Communication:
  2. Self-Improvement:
  3. Emuna, Bitachon and Tefilah:
  4. Personal Goals:

Day 5: Judging Favorably

Judging others favorably earns me a favorable judgment in Heaven. How can I accomplish this when faced with negative behavior? By accepting human imperfection in myself as well as in others, I can choose to reframe the situations to see my behaviors, as well as others, in a positive light.

  1. Communication:
  2. Self-Improvement:
  3. Emuna, Bitachon and Tefilah:
  4. Personal Goals:

Day 6: Managing Triggers

Life by nature is demanding and stressful, that is not an excuse for poor behavior. My "triggers," are the events in my life that prompt a negative response and or reaction. By making a plan of action I can prepare myself before being thrown into a stressful situation to preempt a damaging response. I can now practice my plan of action to be used in stressful situations so that I can act with intent and be proud of my behaviors.

  1. Communication:
  2. Self-Improvement:
  3. Emuna, Bitachon and Tefilah:
  4. Personal Goals:

Day 7: Replacing Bad Habits

Using guided imagery, I can wipe bad habits out of my mind and replace the infractions with integrity and virtue. I am not my behaviors and my behaviors are not me. If I adopted a bad habit, it may take time and effort, but with practice and dedication, I can replace it with a positive action.

  1. Communication:
  2. Self-Improvement:
  3. Emuna, Bitachon and Tefilah:
  4. Personal Goals:

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