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- By Life Coach Ritu Singal
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When it comes to life, we tend to do everything with planning. Being humans it has been our mentality to run things according to our plans. From our childhood we are taught, only a person who knows how to plan things can actually succeed in life.
Planning anything and everything has always been beneficial. The people who strategize things well are more prone to succeed in life as compared to others.
I remember I had a client once. Her name was Angela. She was one of the brightest girls I had ever seen. Glorious in academics, medalled in sports, and a certified Kathak dancer.
As she was so perfect, I asked her what brought her to me. She very politely said, “ There are things that I have achieved, but there are things that are yet to achieve.”
As the session proceeded, we talked and tried to understand each other. At only the age of 21, she had made so many achievements.
Now, she felt like she had no purpose to fulfill. She thought she did everything in haste and that if she could have done things with a little more patience and planning, it could have been great for her.
At such a young age, she felt like she had nothing to do and nothing to achieve. It is what happens when we fail to plan things and work according to our plans in life. Many times we feel lost mid-way because of unplanned life.
I asked her what made her think this way. Was it because everything she kept on doing was unplanned?
To this, she said, “I just kept on doing things one after the other. I thought if I do things quickly, it’ll be great for me. I never felt the need to create a plan for myself.”
By that time, I already knew what was the problem that was eating her head, and what will be its solution.
She had never planned things. She exhausted herself by indulging in every activity at one time. Had she done activities with more patience and planning, her life would have been different.
I asked her to start planning what she needs to acquire or fulfill in a day. I asked her to create daily plans a night before for one week.
She visited me the next week. I asked her if she finds herself more productive now. She smiled and said, “ I did have so many things to do in a single day. I was not even realizing how much I was acquiring in a day.”
With this, she realized she has various purposes in life. Now I asked her to plan your week. She sat on Sunday and wrote whatever she will accomplish in the week ahead. After inculcating weekly plans, in the next session, she said, “ I have actually found my purpose in life.” She was so satisfied and glad that she found the hope she lost. Today, she has completed her masters and conducts dance classes for girls.
How did this happen?
While planning her days and week, she knew how much time to give to what activity. As she started planning her weeks, she started sparing out times for the things she wanted to do or liked to do. As she spent more and more time on the things she loved, she knew what she wanted for herself in the future.
You see, everything starts with planning. Planning your week is the first step towards productivity. Planning and fulfilling your planned things help you achieve many things in life.
Why do you need to plan your week?
As I have already said, having a plan is extremely good for your productivity and life. Still, at times we doubt how a strategy can help us or planning your week can benefit you. According to me, here I have collected the four most prominent reasons why you need a plan.
- Weekly planning boosts your productivity
When I say being productive, I do not mean staying busy or working throughout your day. A person is said to be productive if he or she makes the most of the day in the least time. In simple words, a person who completes all his tasks on time and saves time for himself and other activities is said to be productive. If you plan your week in advance, you will know what all you have to accomplish, how much time you have to spare for each task, and how much time you will have for yourself. You will focus only on the right things and focus your energy there.
- You’ll learn to say NO
One of the most arduous things to say in the world is ‘No’. Saying no to wrong habits, friends, socializing, or wasting time on the phone becomes very difficult for people these days. People do not avoid other activities because they are unaware of how much pending work they have. For example, you have to complete a presentation and prepare for a seminar for a meeting tomorrow. You decide to devote extra hours from your break to use for this work. However, your colleagues approach you and convince you to join them for lunch at a nearby restaurant. Since you have no plan and time constraints on yourself, you think you’ll finish your work later and decide to join them for lunch. You then had to spend all your night working on the presentation. Now you understand how planning could have helped you?
When you have a plan, and you know you have to acquire certain things within a given time frame, then you’ll learn to say ‘no’ whenever required.
- Weekly planning helps to keep a balance between work and life
The concept of planning is very simple. The more you work according to your plan, the more time you will have to yourself. If you accomplish your tasks on time, you will have more free time. Who doesn’t like free time? Lost amidst so many tasks, we hardly find time to take care of our mental health. If we have more free time, we will stress less. It will help us manage our mental health and productivity.
A work-life balance will be created by planning your week. You will have time to spend with your family. You may even indulge in your loved activities like cooking, dancing, or writing. It will help you balance your life.
- Planning your week will make you more aware
Many times in life, we are so deeply involved in work that we do not realize what is happening around us. It happens mostly when we keep on piling up work unless we are overloaded with it, and now we have no time to look around.
If you make a plan and work according to it, you’ll stay more aware and conscious of your surroundings. Multi-tasking will become more efficient. Being too busy, we miss out on a lot of small tasks. Getting the bigger fish remains our target, and because of it, so many smaller tasks remain untouched. If you plan your week, you will have leftover time. It is the time which you can utilize for the smaller tasks.
How to plan your week?
Even after knowing the need to create a plan, many people wonder how to schedule a week. Planning a week requires both patience and intellect. Planning your week is creating a layout or an outline of what you are going to do each day. You don’t have to create a very detailed plan however, it will be great if you can. Start with simple steps and action plans. Your plan should make you feel prepared for the entire week. Let us now learn how to create a plan for your week.
What do you need to create a plan?
- Blank notebook/ Journal/ Planner
- A calendar (probably weekly)
- Pens and stick-on.
How to schedule a week?
Follow these steps to create a weekly plan right away.
Step 1
The first step in creating the plan for the week is to review your bigger plans. Yes! You first need to chalk down the major events of your week. It can include some important meetings, interviews, tests, or anything that you find crucial in your week. Review your monthly priorities and plans. Once you review all the big fishes, you can schedule them on the required dates. With only this step, a major chunk of your week will be assigned.
Step 2
Make a list for your week. I always say lists are very crucial for anyone. They are very helpful and benefit you in many ways. In fact, you should first make a list of all the things you have to accomplish within the week. If you have a list of the things to be done, then you can simply assign the tasks from the list to your planner. Your list should not only include your professional works, but also household chores like grocery shopping or washing clothes. Also, you can rearrange events of a list whenever you wish.
Step 3
The next step to planning your week is to prioritize your tasks. Prioritizing means figuring out the things that absolutely need to be done, and things that can be shifted. Highlight the tasks that are on your top priorities for the week. Let us be honest we all have a few extremely crucial tasks. Prioritizing things will give you the satisfaction of completing major tasks before. You can prioritize around 5-8 tasks a week.
Step 4
Now that you have listed tasks and plans for the week. The next step is to decide the actions to be taken to complete these tasks. What is the importance of a strategy when the actions are not decided? Planning your actions along with your plan will help you boost productivity. You can think about action steps that will help you get your work completed.
Step 5
Now, with everything in hand, from tasks, assignments, priorities, lists, and actions, it is time to create the final schedule. It is the most crucial step for you. Firstly, assign your prioritized tasks to the days you think are required for them. Assign each prioritized task from your list to a designated day.
Secondly, try to group similar tasks. For example, if you have to go grocery shopping and buy some electronics, instead of taking out time on two days, you can get ready and perform both the tasks on the same day. Grouping tasks is very beneficial as your brain doesn’t have to switch between different activities again and again.
Step 6
If you have decided on a plan for yourself, it does not mean you cannot be flexible with your plan. Once your plan is ready, you can review and adjust your weekly plans. It does not mean your plan is not efficient. It simply means adjusting according to the changes around you. For example, you can be assigned a new work task at the office. It can be outside your plan now you cannot refuse to do so. In such situations, you can review and adjust your plans according to the present requirement. You can review your plan every evening, add new tasks, and remove old ones.
Step 7
While deciding a plan for your week, make sure you add mindfulness or relaxing activities to it. The aim of making a plan is to give yourself some me-time. Each day spares some time for activities that you like. They can be reading, dancing, writing, or meditation, yoga, or exercises.
Pro-Tip
For each day of your week, make sure you assign one big task. One such task that requires time and effort should be assigned each day instead of grouping them on one day. It will help you stay focused and will get your important task done on time.
This task means getting the bigger fish. When the bigger and crucial tasks are done on time, you remain stress-free and satisfied for the rest of the day or week.
Create fulfilling routines
Fulfilling routines are the routines that make your life more rewarding. While planning your week, it becomes critical to create a routine that offers both personal care and rejuvenation work life. Think of ways in which you can make your life easier and more fulfilling. Incorporate activities in your routines that give you happiness.
If you have a family, then giving time to your kids or partner is very essential. Make sure in your weekly plans you include family nights, date nights, and movie nights for your family and loved ones. It is the most beautiful part of creating plans. It gives you the option of managing time in a way that suits you and makes your life easy to live.
What are the benefits of creating weekly plans?
Some life-changing benefits of planning your week are:
- You get a clear idea of how much work and effort you have to put in.
- You can prepare yourself if you know the week is going to be a busy one.
- You can create an action plan and decide a game plan for yourself.
- You’ll feel satisfied and productive throughout the week.
- It will improve your mental health in many ways.
- You’ll stay stress-free and will be able to manage your chores better.
- You get a track of all your responsibilities that are to be fulfilled.
- You learn to prioritize your work.
- One learns to focus and fulfill the important things only.
- You will get the reward of accomplishment, and there’s no other feeling better than that.
- You learn time-management. With each task, you can track the time you spend on it.
- You get time to do things that you really love. It brings out your creative side.
- You learn to work by breaking bigger tasks into smaller achievable goals.
- Multi-tasking becomes a habit with planning and scheduling tasks.
- You get to know yourself better, like where you spend more time.
- Helps to improve workflow tremendously.
Final Thoughts
If you start planning a day, soon it becomes a habit. Once you come to know how beneficial and satisfying it is, you will find it arduous to work without plans. To make the most of your week, you have to work on plans week after week. At times, you might wish to leave it all and do what your heart wants. However, these are your testing times.
You can take breaks from routines but only once a week. If you start taking your plans casually, you’ll be the one at loss. There’s no worse feeling than the guilt of not being able to fulfill one’s task on time. Planning your week is the first step towards a succeeding attitude.
When it comes to life, we tend to do everything with planning. Being humans it has been our mentality to […]
- By Life Coach Ritu Singal
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“Simplicity is the peak of civilization.” – Jessie Sumpter
Always Preoccupied With Work
No Time For Self-Care
Growing Responsibilities Of Family
Social Circle Demanding More Time
No Time To Relax
No Peace Of Mind
And so on….the list continues.
There is a lot of load and pressure on this head and shoulders. The mind is continuously active with no relaxation sessions. This life is a race, and everyone is running in the hoard to come first. In this era, growth and development have no limits. The ambitious people have so much to do in very little time. With this are the add-ons of family and social responsibilities.
Simplification of lifestyle is the only process through which one can make life a bit easier and more productive. You can get a break from the balancing act of life and live life a bit more calmly.
Lifecoach Ritu Singal says that simplification has a different significance for everyone. People with varying levels of attitude towards life and routines define a simple life in different styles.
Simplification of life does not mean that your life is going to be very easy. Ups and downs are sure to come. The only thing that changes is that you get a solution to come out of them. However, the answer may be tricky, as well. It will always power and some efforts to follow the decided route.
What does the Simplification of life mean?
Simplification is to cut down the extra steps of your routine to manage your time better and concentrate more on productive aspects of life. It is making life happier, getting more control over your life, and wasting less of your valuable time. It ultimately makes the experience more enjoyable!
It is clearing the clutter of life, both- physical and mental. It means getting rid of unwanted pressure and things you dislike. It is doing something that matters to you and makes your life more fit and happy. You can pursue essential and satisfying things if you have less stuff and fewer obligations. Simplification is an all-pervasive process and can be done anytime and from anywhere.
Simplifying your life is very important because everything in your life takes up space. Whether it’s mental space, physical space, or calendar space, you need so much room. Everything you own, everything you do, and everyone you spend time which costs you something. And when you have an abundance of stuff, it costs you a lot. Simplifying your life will give you more time, space, and energy.
Simplification is a continuous process. As you grow and learn more about this, you can get it done in life. To simplify your lifestyle, one needs to have a broad vision, positive attitude, and awareness. The focus should be on the attainment of a goal and the means to achieve it. The plans may be- short-term goals or long-term goals, personal goals, or career goals. Whatever I may be, everything can be completed more conveniently if you simplify your life and save yourself from all wasteful acts and unhealthy practices.
Simplification of life has to do at many levels as such:
- Physical Level
Pay attention to your health. Being fit and healthy is not only essential for our well being, but also our growth and development. A person who is physically fit is active and energetic the whole day. Tiredness does not come to him quickly. So he is more productive and focused as well.
- Mental Level
Mental well-being is, of course, essential for our existence and happiness. It is an intangible feeling of peace and satisfaction within oneself. If one is mentally fit, he can be more innovative. Practice mediation and listen to awareness programs to enhance your mental health.
- Relationship Management
Emotional intelligence is one of the significant and underestimated abilities essential to turn into a physician leader. Whether you need to keep up better relationships with those above you or wish to deal with your groups all the more successfully, upgrading your emotional intelligence might be the missing piece you require for great results. Having the option to recognize and address feelings, both in you and in others, permits us to experience compassion and, hence, associate entirely with others.
- Personal Relations
Play an essential role in the life of a man. Good relationship bonds and caring relationships are fundamental to the happiness and security of any person.
- Career
Actions have to be taken and plans made to achieve the desired goals. His achievement and post recognize a man. Simplification of life increases the efficiency of working, and thus the achievement of goals becomes more comfortable and feasible in the desired timeline.
Now the next question that arises into your mind is how we can simplify our lives. However, the answer to this question is different for everyone, but a few key points may be related to everyone.
Ways To Simplify Your Life
Set short term goals
Long term goals and new year resolutions are a bit difficult to achieve. Sometimes They don’t give tangible returns shortly. Or else break the goal into small achievable targets. Slowly and steadily, as we keep on moving forward and achieving these mini targets, ultimately, the main target is also performed.
Declutter your closet
Most of the people have a habit of just filling the shelves of their wardrobe. But along with new clothes the old clothes also keep on increasing. One must regularly keep on updating and cleaning the cabinets. The extra and unwanted stuff must be given away so that the wardrobe’s precious space can be utilized to the fullest.
Make a good morning routine
A day must start with a real big smile, gratefulness to god, energy, and a healthy drink. A day that has created well is sure to give you good news and happy and satisfactory moments all day.
Get rid of bad mental habits
The basic need for simplification is to give ease to the mind. A mind that is free and fresh can create histories. Just delete all kinds of bad memories from your mind. Bad memories always act as the biggest hindrance to the growth of a person. Also, there must be no space for negative thoughts in mind.
Pay off your debts
Debts or liabilities must be paid off as soon as possible. One must have the prime aim of paying off the debt, if any, as soon as you get some income source. Obligations are the biggest headache to the lender as well as the receiver. Debt is a crucial factor contributing to mental sickness and stress. Reliving this mental stress is the best way to simplify your life. Once you get rid of the debt, you can manage your finances in a much better way.
It helps to plan your budget and also set long term financial plans. It helps make a better picture of upcoming projects and ascertain the costs, profits, and losses.
Find forms of entertainment
Do what you love. Track your passion. Spend time doing things and activities that give you joy and peace. Running behind the goals, the man has forgotten to enjoy life and pursue their hobbies. Recognize the sources of fun and entertainment. I spent a little time doing things that give you Goosebumps and make you feel rejuvenated. This adds up to the simplification of life as you feel free and relaxed.
Say no to excess mobiles and T.V.
T.V. and mobiles are seriously an excellent means to waste time. People and students spent so much of their crucial time watching movies, daily soaps, etc. on TV. This is unproductive. Additionally, it is a sheer loss when mobile is used to play games and just chit chats here and there. Life is so busy, and there are so many tasks that such a waste of time is not affordable. Instead, one can spend this time doing something worthwhile or valuable. This will enable you to feel more content. Thus by cutting these unnecessary steps, life can be simplified to a great extent.
Stay away from negative people
Pessimistic people not just send negative vibes but also drain all the energy. They also play a significant role in de-motivating and decreasing the self-confidence of a person. Try to stay away from such kinds of people as much as possible. Even if they come close to you, divert the topic or walk away from them. This will simplify your life significantly. Such people are obstacles in the path of happiness and prosperity. The company of such people affects your name and goodwill as well.
Life becomes very simple and straightforward if there is no one to manipulate you or talk about life’s negative aspects.
Plan
Everyone must have a plan for his or her life. You must be clear about what you want and how you will be able to achieve it. Then plan your routines and activities accordingly. When you don’t have a pre-set outline or a to-do list, life becomes clumsy and confusing. You don’t know the exact course of action and end up doing the wrong things or making wrong decisions.
Thus one must live an organized and well-planned life. There must be no room for’ if’s and but’s.’ Life will become very simple and easy going if you live according to the planned course of action and keep willpower on the pre-decided track. Planning is thus essential to simplify your life and balance the day to day activities and tasks.
Learn how to say “No”
Many of you are of nature that you can’t deny anyone about anything. This seldom adds to your clutter and increases your tension and pressure. These unwanted tasks and activities increase your workload and disturb the daily routine. It may disrupt the balance of your life as well/
Helping is good, and you must benefit everyone, but that extended help in no way should disturb your course of life. When we are clear of our priorities and what is essential to be happy and satisfied, you can clearly distinguish between what has to be done and what to be avoided.
When you start saying “No’ to waste or unproductive activities, it will automatically simplify your life. Fewer activities mean less pressure, fewer obligations, and thus a more simple and happy life.
Spend less time on social media
An average person spends so many hours on social media. One can spend his entire day on social media sites like Facebook, WhatsApp, Snapchat, Instagram, etc.
Social media is an excellent means to stay in touch with so many people and increase your network, but, at the same time, it can be proved as a waste of valuable time when you start exerting excess time on it.
For example, Students often ruin their careers due to this. The time that is given to studies is given to these networking sites. Then they are left with nothing except guilt and repent. Everything must be done within limits. Too much of anything disturbs life. Thus by diverting these hours towards something productive and valuable will simplify your life. It will reduce the workload and increase your efficiency too.
Fix your priorities
Before starting to find means to simplify your life, one must first decide what is important and how you want your life to look. After seeing what you want out of your life, one has to decide how to achieve the desired experience. Thus, it is essential to fix life priorities before planning or taking any further action. Making a list of priorities makes it easy to decide what has to be done and what has to be ignored.
All the steps taken to simplify life must be aimed at achieving the desired goal. All the extra clutter that may hold you back is thus eliminated. Life becomes simple when you can focus on your priorities and therefore feel content and happy.
It will not only clear your mind by deleting all the confusion but also motivate you to be more dedicated and faithful towards your work. Simplification of life and fixing of priorities go hand in hand. If you cannot recognize your desires and simplify your life accordingly, you cannot be happy and relaxed.
Switch to the latest technology, i.e., get updated
The advent of technology has no doubt simplified our lives to a great extent. With the help of the latest machines and technologies, numerous times, taking steps can be avoided. Also, the work that used to take hours can be done in very little time. Productivity and efficiency can be increased to a great extent using the latest technology. One must be well-updated and know all the existing updates that can make his life more comfortable and superficial.
Modernization is necessary not in the home’s daily routine activities but also the office and workplace. This will make life simpler, more comfortable, and better.
Take care of your health
One must do regular exercises, yoga, and meditation for physical fitness, and stay away from chronic illness and diseases. Physical and mental fitness is essential to living a simple and happy life. Also, stay hydrated by drinking lots of water and take a balanced and nutritious diet for a healthy heart and liver.
One who is fit from health and mind can make better decisions—also, the activeness and freshness increase. Thus, everything in life looks simpler and happening.
To illustrate this,
Once there was a woman who was a housewife. All burdened with family responsibilities. She also wanted to do something for herself to earn money and self-confidence. She started working for the household as she woke up and spent all her day looking after her husband and children. She had no time for self-care or to pursue her career and become successful in life. This made her so unhappy and depressed. She also had a shallow level of self-confidence.
After reading books and attending some motivational seminars, she learned about the different concepts of life. She recognized herself and fixed her life; she also switched to some modern techniques to simplify her household work. She set a goal for herself as what she wanted from her life.
After setting the aim, she began to plan to simplify her life and reduce her head’s clutter. She just eliminated all the unwanted things and unwanted negative people from her life. She made a list of priorities and the things that made her feel content and happy.
Thus she began to feel free and happy. She started teaching in a school to earn a livelihood and pursue her career aim. Hence now she lives a simpler life, stress-free, content, and very happy.
Conclusion
Of course, life is very complicated, and everyone is so busy and preoccupied. This is the only reason why the simplification of life is necessary. By simplifying life, it becomes joyous and overwhelming.
However, it cannot be done in a single stroke or through a one day plan. Simplification is a continuous process. One has to be very thoughtful and open-minded. Having a broad vision and focusing on priorities will enable you to make the right decisions on simplifying life.
“Simplicity is the peak of civilization.” – Jessie Sumpter Always Preoccupied With Work No Time For Self-Care Growing Responsibilities Of […]
- By Life Coach Ritu Singal
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Many of us find ourselves in great panic. Feel as if a heavy stone is put upon our head and we have to bear its weight the whole life. It is nothing but a load of responsibilities and the trauma associated with it. We have to do so many tasks together like studies, work, office, home, children, and relations. All these are very difficult to manage together. Thinking of so much together makes us depressed and so much confused and irritating.
Have you felt a need for calmness in your life?
Have you ever wished for a fresh mind and peace?
Have you ever felt yourself as if fighting in a circus ring?
If the answer is “yes”; that means the only thing you need is to have a balance in life.
Now, what exactly is the Balance of life?
Ritu Singal says that one is said to live a balanced life when he or she can form a harmony in all aspects of life. It means that when you can handle all the elements of life nicely and your heart or mind is not being pulled forcefully in any particular direction. You feel calm, grounded, clear-headed, and motivated. Balance of life is a natural phenomenon; it is a state of mind and is attained by continuous practice and self-awareness.
Creating a balance is different for every individual. It depends from person to person. Balance need to be made in two elements of life:
- Internal – Mind, Heart, and Health.
- External- Work, Social, Family, and fun.
How to create balance in your life?
When you feel that things are not working and want control over your life or we can say to establish a balance between different aspects of your life, follow the following tricks
Acknowledge your present situation: Become aware of what you are doing. Don’t get carried away in the flow of life. Do what is necessary and meaningful following your priorities. Becoming aware will help you to seek out things and help you live a purposeful life and strike a balance in different activities of your life.
No phones: Phones always keep you busy and occupied. It is advisable to keep it off for some hours of the day. Disconnecting yourself is essential as it makes your brain run faster and enables you to spend time with friends and family.
Cut it off: If there is an overflow of work and there are numerous tasks to be done it becomes difficult to establish a balance between all. Thus, one has to decide about the priorities of your life and say no to non-essential things so that you can concentrate on essential things and do everything peacefully.
Say “No” to negativity: Pessimistic people and their talks always take you backward in life. They create fear and tension in the mind. This leads to more confusion and irritation in the minds of the people. They lose their balance and are unable to make the right decisions in life. Thus keep a distance from such kinds of people. Also, keep on monitoring your thoughts. Any kind of negative vibe must be wiped off. Spend time with positive, motivated, and energetic people.
Have some leisure time: Spend time with yourself. Spend some time alone, sit back, and relax. Do what you like the most- reading books, listening to music, Painting, etc. It will help you to recognize yourself. When one is completely relaxed and fresh he can think better and have a broad vision. Thus can make a better decision and manage things properly. It is crucial in lowering stress, increasing happiness, and encouraging creativity.
Spend time with family: Family and relationships act as a major healer. Spending time with them makes you feel more happy and complete. Spend time with your love, play with your children, and Serve your parents. It will help you to know them and relax.
Improve your health: Physical fitness is very important for a relaxed and happy mind. Do yoga, exercises, gymming, and meditation. Our health affects the quality of work and our focus as well. Physical fitness aids in working with more energy and dedication and thus increases productivity as well. Good health is equal to a more happy and satisfying life.
Have fun: Boring and monotonous life is very frustrating. Being occupied by work and responsibilities the whole day makes a man irritating and tired both physically as well as mentally. Some amount of fun and adventure is necessary for relaxation as well. Dine out, Go on a coffee, explore the world, meet friends, watch a movie, etc. Do anything that can give you a belly laugh and thus makes you feel happy and relaxed within.
Become aware: There are many online and face to face courses that teach you how to train your mind. Attend motivational seminars and listen to the gurus which can enlighten your mind and life as well.
Despite knowing the importance and the ways to achieve it we are seldom unable to strike the right balance in our life. It may be due to several reasons as illustrated hereunder:
Reasons, why you are living, might be feeling off-balance
- When you don’t know what balancing is:
There is no definite formula for how to simplify your life. This differs from person to person. Balancing is an art, its feeling is different for all depending upon the responsibilities, job, age, hobbies, and relationships.
For this focus on your thoughts and make them revolve around this concept. Imagine how life would be if you were more satisfied and happy. Imagine how you want your life to be and how a balanced life would look like. This helps you get a clear picture of what balancing is and what has to be done to attain what you are striving for.
Figure out what balance is and how it can be achieved. Think, rest, and meditate.
- When you don’t have a good will-power
Unnecessary distractions must not be able to move you. One must be clear on priorities that will help to achieve the goal of life. Also, set personal boundaries that must not be crossed by anyone; not even yourself. Discipline in life is necessary for the attainment of goals. No plan and formula can be worked out successfully if one does not have self-discipline and a strong will-power.
To strike balances in life first learn to train your mind and do the tasks that go following your priority. Distractions will take you away from the goal and cause confusion and anxiety.
- When you are not consistent with your actions
Being consistent is doing or following the routine that was established to achieve the desired goal. Sticking with the help of the established practice in mastering over the things and also strike the balance between all the tasks related to your daily life.
Shifting or changing the course of action, again and again, leads to confusion and hassle. This often leads you to off-balance and takes you away from your target.
- Lack of planning
Planning is an essential way to achieve balance in life. Outlining the week or day beforehand will increase your productivity and achieve the desired results on time. Planning can be done for work-life, studies, related to family goals, or any other task. Planning minimizes the unproductive time and also reduces real-time panic and losses associated with it.
The planning must encompass everything- appointments, projects, social/relationship time, time for self-care, etc. Thus planning aids in the easy achievement of targets and establishes a balance between different responsibilities and roles to be played throughout the day.
- No time for self-care
Pampering yourself is very important to feel happy and confident. Everyone must take out time from their busy schedule for self-love and self-care. A fit body is essential to work for the whole day. Also, self-care is important to maintain your looks- eyes, hair, and skin. It also includes nurturing your mind and soul.
This makes you feel confident and gives a positive attitude towards life. Thus without self-care one gets depressed and feels inferior. Low energy enables him to work with full dedication. Thus achieving a balance in life and peace becomes difficult.
This story helps you to understand this concept better
Once there was a woman. she was very polite and decent. Married in a joint family she was overburdened with work and responsibilities. Along with this, she had to go to the office and focus on her career as well. She was depressed and found it very difficult to do everything together. She had to play so many roles together. As a result, her health degraded and her looks also got average. She began to have headaches and grew mentally sick.
Then once she attended a session on how to attain balance in life and tips to live a happy life. She read many books regarding this. She understood the meaning of balance and the way to achieve balance in life. She practiced all the ways to achieve it. She did meditation and became aware of her present life. She made a blueprint of what she wanted from her life.
She dreamt of a happy and peaceful life. With more self-care and broad vision, she was able to balance her personal and professional life. She started staying happy and satisfied. She became mentally and physically fit as well. She again started looking beautiful and performed very well at work as well.
Thus plan your life and strive to achieve balance in life. This will impart to you all the happiness of life.
Advantages of living a balanced life
Improve your mood: Once you have a balanced life, you feel more content and happy. It acts as a mood buster. Negative thoughts and depression just go away from your life forever. Anger and frustration are released out. Thus, overall it imparts you peace of mind and happiness from within.
Improve health: Balance in life is a result of positive thinking, deep thought, and harmony in day to day activities. When you are mentally free, you can concentrate on the different aspects of your health too. Less stress reduces the risk of high BP and heart problems as well. Thus it leads to overall perfect health.
More energy: When everything is planned and perfect, life seems to be so beautiful. Balance in life makes you more productive and helps in the timely attainment of goals. When you are healthy and have a clear and fresh mind, you become more energetic and active.
Healthy social life: Everyone wants to spend time with positive and happening people. Their attitude and confidence attract more friends and family towards them. They often act as a role model for many. Thus social relations foster and you become more and more happy and successful.
More self-confidence: When you can strike the right balance in life, you become more confident. A man with a healthy and fit mind, body, and soul are sure to have a boost in confidence.
Achievement of career aims: A man who can strike a balance in life is bound to achieve all the desired aims of life. He becomes successful in all aspects of life. Nothing is impossible for the one who lives a balanced life.
Conclusion
Stop saying that I’m busy. Busy. Busy !! In this technological world, everyone is hijacked by computers, mobiles, and social media. Moreover, the stress of family and personal duties is also increasing. There is a lot to be done in very little time. The mind is always preoccupied which leads to stress and conflicts. Time can be given to everything and everyone if balanced properly. Learn managing yourself. Be mindful and think rationally. Learn to love yourself. Living a balanced life is key to a happy and peaceful mind.
Many of us find ourselves in great panic. Feel as if a heavy stone is put upon our head and […]
- By Life Coach Ritu Singal
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We all are god’s children. He has created the universe and all the human beings and creatures. All men are not equal. He has blessed everyone with different qualities. We must trust in his creation and should feel content with what we are bestowed upon.
We often feel jealous of other people around us. We look at their clothes, accessories, luxury, and success in career; studies etc. and compare with what we have. This does nothing but makes us sometimes feel incompetent and depressed. This exerts a bad impression on our mind and thus affects our mental well being as well.
Shakespeare once said- “ I cried when I had no shoes, so I stopped crying when I saw a man without legs.”
Also our great leader Mahatma Gandhi had always preached that whenever you feel that you have something less or feel inferior look at the people who are below you. You will feel grateful and lucky. God has bestowed you with so many qualities which others don’t have. We must focus on the good within us and forget the rest.
This little trick will change everything surely.
What does feeling content actually mean?
Have you ever tried to be grateful for what you have?
Have you felt the sense of complete and satisfied?
Feeling content is a feeling that comes from inside. It comes from within our heart. It is feeling satisfied and happy with what you have. It not just gives you enormous self confidence but also motivates to move forward in the right direction.
We are blessed with a wonderful body, the organ system, the senses but many of the people don’t have this also. Imagine your body without any of the organs or a missing sense. And even with this mis-happening they manage to smile and live so why not we? We are blessed and we must be thankful for that.
Not feeling content has many bad repercussions also like
- Hinders growth: Being content with what we do and what he has makes you feel motivated to do the work we are doing. It does not all mean that you must start improving yourself. Try to improve and grow but meanwhile learn to be content with what the situation is.
- Mental wellness: Mental wellbeing is important for normal and prosperous life of a person. Feeling of jealousy makes you feel depressed and mentally sick. It leads to chronic headache and sleeplessness also sometimes. This hinders your overall growth also sometimes. Thus we must be content with what you have.
- Bad relations: If you are in a bad mood it ultimately affects your personal lives as well. We often disseminate our anger and frustration on our near and dear ones. Anger is our biggest enemy. They become the victim of our wrath and ignorant behaviour. If you are not feeling satisfied and happy from within; you show it out also. This worsens your relationship with your kith and kin and disturbs the family life as well.
- Bad health: When we are not happy and content we start ignoring our health too. Proper sleep and mental well being is necessary for good physical health as well. A healthy mind resides in a healthy body. Therefore if we don’t keep our minds balanced it may lead to different types of health diseases like diabetes and blood pressure issues. Thus learn to feel content and satisfied and also be happy to live a sustainable and healthy life.
- Social distancing: The nature of a man is highly impacted by his thoughts and mental status. A man who is not content with his belongings means he is feeling jealous looking upon other people and their achievements. Thus he starts behaving immorally or rudely in social life too. It leads to fewer friends. Everyone likes to stay away from such pessimistic people.
Accept yourself, the person and situation as they are.
We often start to change ourselves and be like the people who we think are better than us. This is nothing but just a waste of mental and physical energy. We must start to feel peace at what we have and about the situation which is beyond our control.
One has to be more compassionate and keep patience. In the race of getting more than other; we often forget ourselves. We forget the joy of celebrating the present. And our whole life is wasted just in tension and comparisons.
The following illustration will help you understand the concept better
There was a person named George. He was addicted to junk food and fast food, and was overweight and unhealthy as well. He bought too many things on impulse, owned too much clutter, and was deeply in debt and struggling to make it to the next payday. He was unhappy with who he was, wanted to change desperately, tried a thousand different programs and books.
He was always worried as he was missing out on exciting things, and wanted so much to be out doing the fun things everyone else was doing. He was always kept on changing the way he did things, because it seemed everyone else had a better system or tools. He tried to do everything which everyone across him did so that he could achieve his goals and be happy like them.
And as he learned to be content, here was what changed:
He learned to be happy with healthier food, with less food, and his health improved and waistline shrunk. He relied on a good book, spending time with people he loved, going for a nice run … and his debt began to be reduced as he learned he didn’t need to spend money to enjoy. He learned to be happier with who he was, and what he was doing. So he no longer needed to try all kinds of new techniques that were done by others. He became happy with himself and spent leisure time, with those around him, and with what he had — and so didn’t need to strive to change everything. Letting go of goals helped him to simplify things and actually concentrate upon himself with patience. Thus he was self confident and motivated than ever before
How to be content with the present
Cultivate Awareness
The first step towards it is to become aware of your present i.e. think of the things you already have. Think of what you have achieved and the relations you have cherished. Living in the present not only makes us joyous but also be content and satisfied. ‘Acknowledging the present means being grateful for what you have. It can be done by making a list of things for which you are grateful. This practice must be done in the early morning. Write at least 5 things daily for which you are thankful.
Few illustrations for which you can be thankful are:
- Thanks for the beautiful morning and this life.
- Thanks for the fit body and all the organs and senses that are working perfectly.
- Thanks for whatever you have achieved in your studies and career
- Thanks for the family relations you are blessed with
- Thanks for the Job or business you are pursuing.
The gratitude practice has been preached by many scholars and intellectuals. According to them being grateful is the key to happiness. You have to understand that nothing is permanent. All will pass. Instead of resenting one must look forward in life and make the blueprint of success.
Stop thinking negatively
Just stop thinking of any negative thing, situation or person. Ignore everything that makes you feel down or incompetent. Just concentrate on the good side of the thing and situation. Reverse your thinking the moment it goes on a negative track
Find the good in you
You just have to concentrate on the little things that give you joy. Think about the pleasant memories . Find the things within you that you are happy with. Explore your qualities and the positive things within you that make you different from others. In short you have to explore yourself and feel happy about everything you have.
Accepting what you can’t change
After becoming aware of what you already have; the next step is creating a broader vision and accepting all the people, situations and things as they are. Try to improve yourself and adapt to the changes but not out of jealousy or comparison but out of self curiosity and personal goals. Do everything you like but for yourself. Try to change and improve yourself but not to copy anyone else but for personal happiness and goals.
Some things are beyond our control. They are pre decided by the divine and we have to trust the almighty. This does not mean that you have to give up and be passive. Improvement is the need of the hour and continuous changes are necessary to sustain on this planet. But whatever you do must be guided by a desire and a goal to be unique. It must not be aimed at becoming someone else.
Practice Patience
Patience means letting the things unfold in their own manner and on their own time. Its no use to become impulsive. Becoming too impulsive and rushing towards something can lead to wrong decisions sometimes. One has to keep patience and trust on the pace of growth.
Start embracing the moment and trust that whatever you need or desire shall come at its time. If you start keeping patience and believing in yourself and stay happy everything will start to fall in the right place and you will be there where you desired.
Assume that everything is perfect.
When you assume things to be perfect: they will have to get perfect. Change your thought process. It is your thinking that decides your actions and the future. Start loving yourself. Stop criticizing your present. Tell yourself that you are perfect. Be happy with what you have.
What happens when you start being content:
- Feeling grateful: The feeling of content is associated with lots of positivity and happiness. This makes a man thankful to God and the universe. The feeling of gratitude is the key to more success and empowerment. A man with a positive attitude is sure to achieve great heights. Not only on his career front but he had sweet relations with everyone around.
- Growth and success: Feeling of contentment and happiness encourages one to work with more dedication and focus. His productivity increases as he can do all things with a fresh mind and full self confidence.
- Boost of self image: When you start living a satisfied life and stop criticizing yourself ; your self image and confidence gets a great boost. This helps you build up plans of self improvement and success in your own style and perspective that suits you.
- Good health: Being happy from within makes you mentally fit and emotionally strong. It in turns helps you to stay fit and saves you from many types of disease that are caused due to hypertension. Thus you get an overall good health and a fit life.
- Good relationships: If you are happy and learn to be content you can be a better person, a good partner and a good parent as well. Your wrath reduces and you become more adjustable and active. Thus your personal relationships also improve as well.
- Relax: you reduce the major part of your thinking by cutting off the negative thoughts; thus you are actually totally free, happy and relaxed. You start getting time for productive things and feel yourself free mentally as well emotionally. You are in a relaxed state of mind and thus you can also manage your routine and tasks in a better way.
Conclusion
Be happy with the little you have. There are people with nothing that still manage to smile .Just let go off the fear and concentrate on what is already here. Take a long breath and smile .This process of thinking might not be easy for some; but it is not difficult. With patience and continuous practice we can fully get control over our thoughts and start living a life full of contentment and happiness.
‘Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.’ ~Lao Tzu
We all are god’s children. He has created the universe and all the human beings and creatures. All men are […]
- By Life Coach Ritu Singal
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Well, New year with new dreams, hopes, ideas, and explanations for everyone for us. But we build all these things on the foundation of one thing that is resolution, and new year’s resolution is something that is more common than anything you can think of. We all start the very first day of every year with a new or sometimes the same resolution, but only a few can successfully continue working on that all year long. With the help of this piece of information, I will help you understand the true significance of your new year’s resolution and the power of your one will so you can make 2021 your year and achieve whatever you dreamed about.
Get Past To 2020
We can not talk about new year resolution 2021 or a new beginning without discussing the last year, i.e., 2020. Yes, the year that shook the entire world and changed how we live our lives. COVID-19 has changed every single life on this plane since last year. When the government imposed lockdown in the entire country because of the increasing cases of the virus, we all have to stop our daily life routine and get prisoned in our homes so we can avoid this pandemic effectively.
However, time was not pleasing. The lockdown period was very hurtful, not only in terms of economic aspects but also in emotional aspects too. Since March 2020, many people lost their jobs, many were homeless, and we have lost too many people that is truly sad. And this is the reason we all were so much over with 2020 and wanted it to end soon so we can have a fresh start with 2021.
Focusing On Goal More Than Resolution
When first the Covid were here, and we were locked in our houses, then we also made some resolution whether it is about our health or reading books and working on a new skill. However, those were also washed away like with a long wave of time; besides, they prove it that only 1% of people can stick to their resolution and work through it. So, today I will not talk about a resolution with you but about the goals.
The new year goals are the core foundation of your success that keeps you motivated with your resolution and makes you achieve everything in your life. I have seen people accomplish their goals even during the lockdown period, whether it is about fitness, professional growth, or learning new skills like cooking. Not even the people but also the companies or groups have achieved tremendous success using their alternative plans during the lockdown or Covid period, targeting the people’s needs and helping with their situation. This was all possible only because they could set their goals and work hard toward their goals.
In the past, I have witnessed several people complaining about not being able to stick to their new year resolution and ultimately lost their foals ending up the same way. Using different methods and techniques, I helped them to strengthen their will power for continuing their resolution and hard work.
Working Towards The End Goal Matters
Let me tell you a small story about a kingdom where every king can rule for five years, and after completing the five years, it makes him go into the forest. The king, with all his attire with an elephant ride, made to go into the forest with no resources rather than surviving on the wild animals from the jungle. When a king was being prepared to go to the forest he was anxious, and suddenly someone asked him who should be the next king now, and then he took someone’s name who was very smart. But when people go to him with the news, then the person is denied the offer of becoming the king for five years.
However, after a long discussion, the people of the kingdom could convince him to become the king and that the condition of going to the forest after that. So, he took the place of the king in the kingdom and started his tenure. But unlike other kings, he started focusing on the forest, too, along with his other duties as the kind. During his tenure, he first visited the kingdom and saw there were several wild animals and the skeletons of previous kings. So, he started with cleaning the forest and then shifted all animals from there to somewhere else. After that, he started establishing other facilities there, like agriculture and building homes to convert that forest into a place where one can survive.
Over five years, he built a very great palace in the forest so any person can easily live there having nothing. The day when he was prepared to go to the forest, he seemed happy, and by seeing him happy, other people of the kingdom were confused and asked why are you happy as all the previous kings were sad about this. He was happy because he knew that he didn’t have to fight with animals in the forest or worry about the food for survival as it has everything now. So, with this story, we came to know about how the last king worked for his survival during the king’s life instead of enjoying all the pleasure of being king.
How To Make Your New Year Resolution Stronger?
Here are a few things you must consider while taking a resolution so you can stick to it until you achieve your goal
Now I am going to share some essential things with you you must consider as they will help you in perfectly executing your action daily and assist you in moving towards your goal.
Plan
For anything to happen or if you wish to do something, you need a plan, so you know how to lay down your actions. Suppose you are in your car and drive, but if you do not know where to go or the destination, then there is no point in driving. You need to put down your goals on paper and come up with a new year plan of how you can achieve them. With this, you will make sure that you are going in the right direction without wasting your hard work.
Smart Goal
Make sure you choose your goal very wisely and pick the goals that are practically possible for you. It is also necessary to choose some new year goals that are achievable in your life.
Wasting major time in minor works
This means you are wasting a lot of time on minor tasks such as sending mail or text while you are putting in quick time insignificant tasks such as project work or personal tasks. You need to manage your time very effectively. Try to use all the technologies and resources very wisely so you can save your time for priority tasks.
Put down your goals
It is very helpful to write your goals, and it will be more beneficial if you make a graphical representation of that. In case you are planning to lose a certain weight, then try to get a picture and write your goal and put it in front of you so they will motivate you every day to achieve it.
Trustable partner
You can also get an accountability partner who will keep you going on those days whenever you feel like giving up.
Achieve your goals silently
Do not be very loud about your new year goals; rather, go for it in silence. I am sure you heard about the quote, work in silence, and let the success make all the noise.
Do not procrastinate
You need to understand that you can not achieve your goal by putting in the hard work for the next day. Make sure you start now as it is the only way to get closer to your goal every single day, so do not wait for a certain day to start the work.
Get out of your comfort zones
In order to make all your dreams come true, you need to come out of your comfort zones. Be a little comfortable being uncomfortable as nothing is gonna happen well in your comfort zone.
The depressing part is that with their January 1 resolutions, many individuals do not excel. But that’s because these midnight resolutions look more like a social pressure-an effort to look healthier, mitigate shame, or meet others’ expectations. For starters, gaining weight is amongst the most common New Year’s resolutions and one that individuals seem to perform poorly at. Part of the cause is where it comes from: it sometimes comes from internal or external coercion, as opposed to a purpose that might be naturally valued, such as having more fitness or stamina.
Why New Year Resolutions Fails?
We find that they encounter deeper satisfaction when individuals are committed to giving to someone than when their priorities are more self-oriented. Experiments, for instance, show that doing something compassionate for others enhances your optimistic outlook and energy, particularly though you never meet the recipient.
Most importantly, I conducted a report on what we term the “integrative span” of individuals. I found that as your concentration of interest and caring gets broader, your satisfaction improves. “The less comfortable you are likely to be, if your primary concerns and interests are specific and selfish, just about “me and the individuals really close to me,” versus “my family and my community,” versus “the wider world and everyone and everything. In comparison, a wider sense of treatment and empathy for others predicts better well-being.
How do we make any resolution more likely to stick?
There have been some core elements of achievement in every resolution you might make, outside the emphasis of your objectives. Second, make absolutely sure that your goal is one that you genuinely support, that you are absolutely behind and that you care for. An achievable target is often something that is not hypothetical, such as “improving my health,” but real, such as “increasing my daily step count” or “drinking fruit juice at lunch rather than sugary soda.” The above targets are transparent and achievable in a way that can never be an ambiguous global resolution. The very next step, if it has a clear goal, is to make a practical strategy for how and where it can be implemented.
Just as significant evidence suggests that the more you can make the whole thing fun and “intrinsically motivated” to reach your resolution, the more so you can persist. For instance, a strategy to raise your step count may involve a stroll with a good friend every day, which will both accomplish your step goal and fulfil the needs of connectedness. You would be more likely to move on by choosing an experience that also takes you to your target and that you genuinely like, or at least not find aversive.
Eventually, sustainable resolutions are typically based on ideal obstacles. It would feel disheartening to set the bar too high and contribute to disconnection. Bear in mind that the safest approach is to set small incremental objectives for virtually every long-term target, not “I’m going to climb Everest,” but more “I’m looking to bring these first few steps towards base camp.”
Well, New year with new dreams, hopes, ideas, and explanations for everyone for us. But we build all these things […]
