1 ECD Activity: To Experiment 

Exploring Your Commitments with The Emotional Culture Deck

Have a go at this activity to explore your personal or collective commitments using The Emotional Culture Deck. It's a straightforward way to reflect on the emotions that are driving you forward or holding you back.

1. Identify Your Commitment: Start by thinking about your number one commitment right now. It could be something personal or work-related. Write it down like this: "I have committed to (insert your commitment here...)." For example, "I have committed to exercising three times a week to improve my physical health."

2. Pick Your Desired Feelings: Now, choose three desired feelings (black cards) that are motivating you to stick with your commitment. These are the emotions that make you feel good about staying on track. For example, if your commitment is to pick up and care for your kids every day after Kindy, you might choose LOVE, SUPPORTED, and FREE. Note down the feelings you picked and how they relate to your commitment.

3. Pick Your Undesired Feelings: Next, select three undesired feelings (yellow cards) that are making it harder to keep your commitment. These are the emotions that might be getting in the way. For instance, if you're committed to maintaining a healthy work-life balance, you might choose STRESSED, OVERWHELMED, and DISCONNECTED. Write down the feelings you've chosen and how they’re impacting your ability to stay committed.

4. Reflect on Your Emotions: Take a moment to think about why these desired and undesired feelings are connected to your commitment. Ask yourself:

   • Why do these desired feelings matter to me in achieving this commitment?
   • How are the undesired feelings affecting my ability to stay committed?
   • What steps can I take to boost the desired feelings and lessen the impact of the undesired ones?

5. Create an Action Plan: Based on your reflections, jot down a simple action plan to support your commitment. This could include ways to cultivate more of the feelings you want and strategies to manage or reduce the ones you don't. Write down one or two specific actions you can take to strengthen your commitment.

6. Share and Discuss: If you’re doing this activity as a group, take some time to share your commitments, chosen emotions, and action plans with each other. Discuss how the emotions within the group can influence individual commitments and think about how you can support each other in staying committed.

This simple but powerful activity is a great way to become more aware of the emotions that influence your commitments. By recognising both the emotions that help and hinder you, you can take a more intentional approach to staying on track.