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
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