The Mel Robbins Podcast

The #1 Journal Exercise to Become the Person You’ve Always Wanted to Be

Order your copy of The Let Them Theory 👉 https://melrob.co/let-them-theory 👈 The #1 Best Selling Book of 2025 🔥 Discover how much power you truly have. It all begins with two simple words. Let Them. — When you don't feel like doing anything, this one thing will turn it around. If you struggle with stress and anxiety and can’t let go of the negative thoughts that keep you stuck, this episode will change your life. Learn the #1 journal exercise that will pull you out of your rut. This simple exercise will transform your energy so that you become the person you’ve always wanted to be. What you do TODAY will change your future. For more resources, click here for the podcast episode page: https://www.melrobbins.com/podcasts/episode-152 Follow The Mel Robbins Podcast on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themelrobbinspodcast I’m just your friend. I am not a licensed therapist, and this podcast is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice of a physician, professional coach, psychotherapist, or other qualified professional. Got it? Good. I’ll see you in the next episode. In this episode: 00:00: Intro 01:13: Mel’s latest read that she is OBSESSED with 06:42: The day Mel shared this life-changing advice with her daughter 09:46: Use this simple journal exercise to wake you up to your life 14:12: A behind-the-scenes peek at Mel coaching her team 20:03: What Mel’s life looked like in her 20’s 23:14: Now it’s your turn! Pass through the “portal” to your past 27:05: If you hate this exercise, this might be why 28:52: Are you a people-pleaser? Here’s why that’s a powerful clue 29:33: Happiness isn’t what you think 32:26: Your little “homework” assignment and how to share it with Mel #happiness #behappy #happy #journaling #journalprompts — Follow Mel: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melrobbins/ TikTok: http://tiktok.com/@melrobbins Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/melrobbins LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melrobbins Website: http://melrobbins.com — Sign up for Mel’s newsletter: https://melrob.co/sign-up-newsletter A note from Mel to you, twice a week, sharing simple, practical ways to build the life you want. — Subscribe to Mel’s channel here: https://www.youtube.com/melrobbins?sub_confirmation=1 — Listen to The Mel Robbins Podcast 🎧 New episodes drop every Monday & Thursday! https://melrob.co/spotify https://melrob.co/applepodcasts https://melrob.co/amazonmusic — Looking for Mel’s books on Amazon? Find them here: The Let Them Theory: https://amzn.to/3IQ21Oe The Let Them Theory Audiobook: https://amzn.to/413SObp The High 5 Habit: https://amzn.to/3fMvfPQ The 5 Second Rule: https://amzn.to/4l54fah

Mel Robbinshost

Mar 4, 202434mWatch on YouTube ↗

WHAT IT’S REALLY ABOUT

Unlock Happiness: Mel Robbins’ Simple Journaling Portal To Past Joy

Mel Robbins introduces a deceptively simple journaling exercise that uses memories of past happiness as a “portal” to design a happier present life. By dividing a page into “happy me” and “current me,” you identify concrete daily habits, environments, and relationships that made you feel more alive before. The method emphasizes finding just one small, actionable “clue” from that happier time and reintroducing it now, instead of chasing dramatic life-overhauls. Robbins also addresses people with traumatic or unhappy pasts, explaining how their memories can still offer powerful clues about what *not* to repeat and what to heal.

IDEAS WORTH REMEMBERING

5 ideas

Use your past as a map, not a place to live.

Close your eyes, recall a period when you felt happier, and treat that memory as a reference point to identify what worked for you—rather than something you can never get back.

Do the ‘Happy Me vs. Current Me’ split-page exercise.

On one side, describe in detail a typical week from a happier time; on the other, describe your current week. Comparing the two reveals clear, practical behaviors and routines you can reintroduce now.

Look for just one small clue to act on today.

Instead of overwhelming yourself with total reinvention, identify a single element—like walking daily, dancing, journaling in a café, or time with friends—and add that back into your life to spark momentum.

Happiness is built from small, repeated daily actions.

Robbins stresses that joy usually comes from little things—sleep patterns, movement, creative outlets, social contact, time outdoors—not dramatic moves like quitting your job or moving cities.

If your past wasn’t happy, mine it for ‘never again’ lessons.

Even if your memories are dominated by trauma, they still reveal patterns—like people-pleasing or living in constant survival mode—that you must actively heal and change to create future happiness.

WORDS WORTH SAVING

5 quotes

You do know how to be happy. That’s why you miss feeling it.

— Mel Robbins

There’s the world that you’re in right now and another world that you can access when you close your eyes and you ask yourself, ‘When do I remember being happier?’

— Mel Robbins

You think you need to permanently escape your life in order to be happier… No, you don’t.

— Mel Robbins

Even if the world that you travel back to is one where you don’t see yourself being happy, there are still clues.

— Mel Robbins

Stop over-complicating big words like ‘happiness.’ Happiness is the smallest things.

— Mel Robbins

The ‘two worlds’ metaphor: current life vs. remembered happier selfThe core journaling exercise: “happy me” vs. “current me”Using specific daily details as clues for present-day happinessThe power of small habits over big life changesApplying the exercise to others (family, friends) in crisisHandling traumatic or unhappy pasts and extracting ‘what not to do’Examples from Mel, her daughter, and team members illustrating the method

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