These are some of my thoughts that I want to document for myself. This is not a motivational lecture, but I would feel gratified if someone could draw inspiration from my blog.
Life is a complicated journey, filled with ups and downs. Few things are under your control and most are not. Some folks have a natural tendency to swim through the flowing river called life, some learn it by experience and end up being clueless and lost.
Growing up and attending college (especially living in a hostel) illuminated the hidden corners of life. Got to learn about people’s behavior, mindset, and attitude. The losers (non-achievers) were completely happy and the top rankers were struggling throughout the time. INTERESTING HUMAN MINDSET!
I was somewhere in the middle-top spectrum, I could feel good about myself when I saw losers not working hard and enjoying their time, but also felt challenged and jealous of the high achievers’ group (how can people be so fortunate, gifted and things turn out to be in their favor). I used to draw inspiration from both groups to work hard. I was jealous of the “comfort” losers had and jealous of the “potential” the high achiever folks possessed. Nowadays I live alone, don’t get to meet people a lot and I feel I have become a loser myself. I don’t have enough motivation to complete things that I start.
Nevertheless, I introspected myself and noted good and bad habits that I have developed over time, my strengths and weaknesses, and things that have put me where I am and that are stopping me from going to the next level. This is just a journal of the external world, but a rulebook for me that I will look back on again and again to become the best version of myself.
#1 Set a routine, become more productive
Consider yourself lucky if have a routine and you stick to it. It is hard to govern yourself to stay systematic and organized. I recently felt the lack of routine in my lifestyle and its consequences in my work and personal life. Working remotely I don’t have boundaries, I never exist or enter “Work” mode. It sounds trivial but it has affected my moral, and happiness index to some degree. Going forward I aim to set a routine and make it a habit for a long time. I should have a clear picture at the start of the day. My subconscious mind should be aware of my daily goals.
#2 Cutoff social media
This idea doesn’t need any introduction. It is a common problem that teenagers and even adults nowadays face. There are many theories about how social media harms an individual’s mind, here is a great show on Netflix that goes into details.
With every like, DM, or any other notification our brains become addicted to the feeling of release of dopamine, and this is dangerous in the long term. It affects our body, this easy dopamine hit makes us less motivated to do things, lethargic, and lazy.
The best way to overcome the addiction to social media is to move away from online media and embrace the offline social life. Make friends, circles, and communities in real life. Have real people to talk to. Go out and explore the city wherever you live. Start a hobby, exercise, or do something that gives you a real dopamine hit and a real sense of achievement. Use your phone only as a medium of communication and not as a constant source of distraction and validation-seeking in the vast and often overwhelming world of social media.
#3 Focus on what is under your control
Life can throw unexpected challenges our way, but it is up to us to concentrate on what matters. It is important to maintain your temperament in tough times and march forward, you can’t think about situations that are out of your hands. After a prolonged period, this problem will be reinforced into something serious, and you might start to adopt a pessimistic outlook on the world.
Quoting from the Bhagavad Gita [The mind is very restless, turbulent, strong, and obstinate, O Krishna. It appears to me that it is more difficult to control than the wind.]
#4 View success and failure with equal regard
Well, this is a funny one, especially for me. I tend to get super excited about small achievements and extremely depressed about any misfortune in life. It kind of reminds me of the character “Bokuto” from the anime “Haikyuu!”, here is a clip do watch it.
By detaching our self-worth from external achievements and setbacks, we gain the freedom to focus on what truly matters – our character and the values we uphold. Because life is an endless journey, it keeps going on.
#5 Luck is only a catalyst
I’ve seen many people complain about not having luck on their side. But here’s the simple truth: luck works best when you’ve put in the effort. Even if luck smiles on you, it’s only effective when you’ve worked hard toward your goal.
Here is a nice video from Veritasium explaining the relationship between Hard work and Luck, he goes in-depth into statistics.
:wq