Wednesday 13 July 2016

Looking ahead...


The last year had been challenging. I shifted to a new country, amidst new people to do something which I thought I truly wanted to do. Maybe not... still figuring it out.

I think, I think a lot..and do little. This procrastination is causing me a great deal of trouble for it keeps bringing me back to the same old state of nothingness! Hollow! That's how I feel.
Maybe that's why Krishna said,

कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन। मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि॥
meaning you have the right to work only and never to its fruits. Let not the fruits of action be your motive, nor let your attachment be to inaction.

Inaction - that is a big roadblock. It stalls creativity and fosters boredom. When there is so much to do, so much to learn - there should be no place for inaction. The habit of inaction flourishes when there is lack of mindfulness. Being mindful of our environment, our actions and inactions both can help us become more and more effective. And hence it should be a conscious decision.

To be more productive with my daily life and derive more out of it, I am setting up the following goals for the next 2 months:

  1. Developing new habits for a better lifestyle. I seek good health. My health defines me and therefore I am always going to give it a priority over everything else. This year, I plan to:
    • Sleep on time and wake up early in the morning at 4 AM everyday, except Sundays, when I can take the liberty for sleeping 2 hours extra. 
    • Have some physical sport in my routine everyday. One of running/walking/swimming or meditation.
  2. I haven't read much in the last couple of months. Time to bring in my favorite - books. Books that challenge my thought process, add to my learning and help my growth. One book every week. The books for next few weeks:
    • By July 17 - A colossal failure of common sense by Lawrence McDonald
    • By July 24 - The Price of inequality by Joseph Stiglitz
    • By July 31 - Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely 
    • India and the global financial crisis
    • India after independence
  3. Finish a Coursera course.
  4. Improve real world problem solving skills
    • Work sincerely with a problem solving attitude
    • Practice case works
    • Solve puzzles
    • Use Mathematics 
  5. Meet 2 new people every week

Concluding it again with words from INTO THE WILD:

Make a radical change in your lifestyle and begin to boldly do things which you may previously never have thought of doing, or been too hesitant to attempt. So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity and conservation, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind. But in reality nothing is more damaging to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future. 

The very basic core of a man's living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon. For each day to have a different sun. If you want to gain more out of life, you must loose your inclination for monotonous security and adapt a helter-skelter style of life that will, at first, appear to you to be crazy. But once you become accustomed to such a life, you will see its full meaning and its incredible beauty.



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