Towards a Better Life

It is the time of new year resolutions, again.

This time I chose to come up with a post straight out of my personal notes for life.  I got these from various sources – myself, books, Quora etc.

I hope this serves as an inspiration for your new year goals!!

• Try to keep everything clutter-free.  Your work desk, dining table, wardrobe and everything else possible.  You will soon see the wonders this can do
• Time-box your Social media activities.  Ultra-time-box your Facebook time, if you cannot completely avoid.  Keep your Homepage feed clean by un-following every page and every person who don’t matter
• Exercise everyday.  Even as little as 10 minutes is good enough.  Choose a time you are comfortable with and stick to it.  Make it a habit
• Walk everyday.  Walk to the metro station to work, get down a stop before and walk to your destination, walk to your neighborhood supermarket instead of driving etc.  But make sure you walk everyday!
• Read at least 15 minutes everyday, 30 minutes is much better.  It can be anything that can teach you something
• Prepare your task list for the next day, the evening before.  This enables you to be productive from minute one!
• Coming back from work, stop listening to music/reading and spend last 5 minutes to think about what you will do with your children.  This prepares your mind to deal with them as soon as you enter home
• Listen to your kids
• Disable all Notifications on your smartphone when at home with family.  If on Android, try this app to manage Notifications in a single place
• If traveling or spending time with family outdoors, disable Mobile data on your phone.  Don’t be tempted to get online and for emergency your phone will still receive voice calls
• Never go to bed with your kitchen sink full of dishes
• Keep your smartphone out of your bed.  Start using a “real” alarm clock
• Make giving away money a habit.  Donate regularly.  Donating on milestones like birthdays of family members, wedding anniversary etc. helps being regular.  If possible, volunteer physical help to someone or some organisation in need
• Get comfortable with the fact that nobody gives a sh*t about you, except your really close family members or friends.  Realize this and start living a life without always proving something to others
• Be a lifelong learner.  Never stop learning, always look for ways to learn something new.  Reading books, attending seminars, taking classes on Coursera, part time courses are some ways to help yourself
• Start spending on a budget.  Record your everyday expenses and keep revising your budget through the month.  I am a heavy YNAB user to manage my budget.  This habit helps me to plan something 6 months in advance and I exactly know if I can afford it!
• Try something new every 30 days – take your personal 30DayChallenge every month.  It can even be a small habit like brushing every night before bed.  But remember, something you do for 30 days sticks to you for a lifetime – so choose it wise.  See this TED Talk by Matt Cutts for inspiration
• Carry a notebook and a pen all the time.  Comes in handy to keep a log of your weird short-lived ideas or any other interesting stuff
• Never work with more than 2-3 tabs open on your browser.  If you don’t need it for the current task, close your browser.  In short, keep only the apps you need for the current task open
• Be explicit and tell people you love them
• Fold your laundry right after drying
• Read and try to implement Warren Buffet’s 2 List Strategy for your career goals
• Be aware of what you eat and drink.  You don’t need to religiously maintain a log of everything, but be aware of your consumption
• Read the article Your Daily Practice by James Altucher.  Again it is about the power of habit, put in a different and practical way
• Learn to let go.  Remember love is about letting the ones we love, to be themselves
• Get a regular health checkup done for yourself and your loved ones.  It is a better gift than an expensive dress or a fancy watch
• Do a lot of things, but try to be a real expert in just 1 or 2 things.  Expertise has no substitute!
• Learn to say NO and use it wisely
• Learn a new language

I will keep adding stuff to this list!

Wish you a very prosperous and successful 2015!

Many ideas derived from this question Quora – What are small changes you’ve made resulting in a big difference in your life?

Image Credit: Flickr Creative Commons by Robin Ducker