10 Ways To Get Started 

/ Chippy Kurian Chacko 
Listen to this Blog Post : 10 Ways To Get Started
Duration : 23:16 Minutes

Let it be the beginning of the day or let it be life itself, we need to start somewhere. Most of the time, we wing it and hope for the day to take its course. We tend to go with the flow. We tend to accept the fact that going with the flow is OKAY! Is it? Never. If we are accepting this path in life, it has to stop. We should not make do of a path where we are not sure what we must do. Clarity on what we are, who we are and where we are headed are critical and it’s crucial to our very existence. Knowing what to expect from our daily life and leading a path forward is the key to our happiness and in the long run leads to making our life worth every second we breathe.

How can we take control of our life one day at a time.

Nothing can be achieved in a day. It takes effort, perseverance and will power to make a change in life. That happens when we take that one small step, the step to make a change in ourselves and in our life style. Once we are ready, we will slowly learn what we want and we simply unclutter our minds and look forward to plan a future we aspire. We will only get to know what we need when we search within ourselves. Here are ten productive ways to get started and be focused & make your day easier and more manageable. 

1. Know Tomorrow Starts Today
2. Create Daily Routine
3. Dress to Impress yourself
4. Switch on Work Mode
5. Work on Your Emotional Wellbeing
6. Have a friend or friends on tip of your finger
7. Practice Mindfulness
8. Read, Read & Read
9. Reward Yourself
10. Enjoy your Weekends

1. KNOW TOMORROW STARTS TODAY

Yes, that’s true. Today we plan for tomorrow, so tomorrow starts today. The sooner we realise, the faster we adapt. No matter what we do, we have to plan ahead. We cannot wake up ‘today’ morning and plan, organize and schedule our day. We have to plan ahead. We all know the effort it takes to organise a birthday party. It needs careful preparation and planning. Invitations to be send out, catering to be arranged, venue to be decorated, games to be prepared, cake to be organised and the list goes on. We need to map out a plan for everything in life. Sudden impulse and spontaneous decisions do happen in life, one must envy people who can live all their life in that fashion. Yet having a schedule for the day is more productive and keeping a system in place for our day is essential. We don’t need for a master plan, a simple plan of action will suffice. How do we plan ‘Today, a tomorrow,’ here are few ways to do it.

  1. Set reminder. For all plans and actions, use reminder. Set alarm to start work and allocate and set time for all activities.
  2. Use Calendar. Let’s time each event or activity on our calendar. Organise and schedule using calendar. From work out to car wash, meetings at work to catching up with friends, schedule and allocate time and calendar it.
  3. Create a ‘to do list of the day’ and check the progress on each activity on our list. If you missed an activity from the list, reschedule for later that day or the next day or for a suitable time. We should try to complete the hardest task first in the morning. Most importantly, focus on one task at a time.
  4. Set deadlines. Please do not slow down your efforts on a task by prolonging it for too long. If a task is rescheduled or postponed twice, put all efforts to complete by the third reschedule.

2. CREATE DAILY ROUTINE

Our happiness and productivity depends on our routines. Not only does routine gives a sense of control over our life but also it gives a meaning to our life. Making our bed is as meaningful routine as walking 30 minutes a day to keep ourselves active. It’s that simple. Yet we are lazy to act. The fact is we should just follow a routine. Yes, just do it. Least we can do is give a try. How can we make this possible, here are a few tips.

  1. Wake up early. Before rushing off from the bed, sit on the bed for few minutes and let’s just relax, breathe easy and use this moment to be thankful for the day. Earlier we are up, the more time we have for rest of our day. We can make time for all our activities without rushing out and pushing or squeezing everything to the last moment. We should try waking up daily at the same time, it sure will assist us to maintain time, a balance our activities and keeps us in order.
  2. Make your bed. Simple chore yet we all feel it is not important. Before we start any any activity, first routine should always be bedmaking.
  3. Exercise. Regular exercise gives us energy throughout the day. If we cannot find time on a regularly, at least 3-4 days a week will be great. Active body keeps us happy and our mind will be more open to challenges ahead.
  4. Check ‘to do list of the day‘. We should make a habit of checking the list for keeping up with the progress on scheduled activities and events as this makes our day better by keeping our list crossed. If something has to be rescheduled, do it ASAP.

Few other routines to add are

  1. Hydrate. Drink plenty of water. Water before and after meal assist with good digestion. It flushes out bacteria from our bladder and also prevents constipation. Consuming 1 – 2 litres of water daily is good for health.
  2. Eat well. All of us have a busy schedule and we tend to skip a meal or consume too much junk food. If possible have two healthy meals a day. Have an early breakfast. Most of us who are working, doing a small business or studying tend to do takeout or eat out at a spot near our work space. Keep it healthy and reasonable by including plenty of proteins and salads.
  3. Find time on a hobby. Yes, after a tiring day at work or school, we all tend to relax. No. Don’t try to relax. instead we should keep ourselves relaxed by taking on a hobby, such as lego building and collecting, solving puzzles, joining a book club, learning a new language, taking on painting, gardening, carpentry, evening walk with friends, attending a dance class or learn to play music, these are some great hobbies. Now as online lessons are in trend, anything we want will have a online option available. A hobby is also a way to figure out what other things you are good at and expand on it. Many small businesses started from a hobby. Fingers crossed.
  4. Disconnect. Hard as it may be, we should cut ourselves from the devices at least for 30 minutes or an hour daily . This 30 minutes can be used to reflect on ourselves. Prepare our ‘to do list’ for tomorrow.
  5. Journaling. Reflecting on our day and writing down about the day is therapeutic. From what happened, to things that made us happy, to people who made us happy or upset, an event that didn’t go well, or mistake we made in our business. Journaling helps us to express ourselves. It is believed this exercise can keep ourselves in check and sane.

3. DRESS TO IMPRESS YOURSELF

Yes, you heard that right. Dress for yourself. Period. Wearing a piece of cloth to make ourselves happy is the best way to feel content in life. Our style may not be something others like. That doesn’t matter because developing own signature style is worth the effort and ultimately rewarding. It’s selfcare. Moreover, wearing what we are comfortable with happens to be the only way to be truly ourselves. It makes us who we are. So in short, wear what you want. Here are reasons why.

  1. Impress self. The moment we realise we don’t have to impress others we impress ourselves.
  2. ‘Wear what makes you happy & fab’. Wear anything that makes us cheerful and fabulous. We all have own own style, we all know what suits us, what style fits us, we all have own fashion and a sense of what is best for us. When we wear what we love, our body positivity also doubles. If any of you have not thought about it, it’s time to do so.
  3. Our view on ourselves change. Our attitude, behavior and performance have deeper impact on how we view ourselves when we wear an outfit that we love. Wearing what we like keeps us comfortable. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
  4. Confidence. Wearing what we put together with confidence and blend it with our best accessory, our smile or smize. Attitude !!!
  5. Comfortable. When you dress for ourselves, we will be comfortable. Always.

4. SWITCH ON WORK MODE

Be it work, business or study, it is essential to have a scheduled. Time management is key. Yes, that’s why it’s so important to wake up early. We have 24 hours in a day and in that the first few hours after we wake up takes all our effort. It starts when we make our bed, brush our teeth, meditate or go for a jog or run, wake up kids if you are a family, prepare breakfast/s, get ready for work or school. We work about 8 hours a day, that includes our daily tasks at work or business, meetings and more, packing, mailing and delivery of our products to our clients or when in Uni we hop from class, to library to catch up with fellow classmates, to research labs, to debate halls, to seminars sessions and that takes our entire day. Let’s not forget the to and fro travel to work, trip to post office or mail room to ship products, kids drop off and pick up, that takes 2 to 3 hours from our daily life. In the end, we are left with just 4 hours and we hit the bed. If you are business owner, your work time may alter as it’s literally a 24/7 schedule. Even then one needs to have a work time and off time. Balance is not something we have in this pandemic world, there is a shift in our style of work, we are always on work mode, we forgot when to disconnect. Keeping a balance is possible. It’s hard. We can give it a try. How do we power up our work mode and make it effective?

  1. Plan. Starting the day without a well organised to do list is pointless. Just as we have a to do list for your day, at work it is crucial to create a daily schedule. With each task assign a time limit and this schedule will help to manage time at work efficiently. Hard tasks first.
  2. Prepare. At the end of the day and well before logging off for the day, prepare a list of the most important tasks for the next day. If there are any pending tasks, list them down. This will help to be organised for the next day.
  3. Prioritise. Key to successful time management is prioritizing. More than urgency, prioritise tasks on ‘to do list’ based on importance.

5. WORK ON EMOTIONAL WELLBEING

Mental health. Yes, we need to talk about it. Our ability to deal with life’s challenges is emotional wellness, it includes dealing with our feelings, thoughts and emotions as well. The world we live in has changed drastically. None of us have time for anything and let alone for anyone and this means we need to work on our self, by ourself. Keeping our emotions in check and mental health in check should be number one in our list. How do we do that. Here are few tips on how to work on emotional wellbeing.

  1. Say ‘NO’ when you need to.
  2. Seek help when you need to.
  3. Be aware of your emotions.
  4. Be aware of your surroundings.
  5. Think before you act.
  6. Keep away from toxic people.
  7. Surround yourself with people who care about you & your well being.
  8. Be active.
  9. Keep learning.
  10. Do something for a friend or a person who needs help. Look out for others too.

IMPORTANT MESSAGE

If you or anyone you know needs help and support please reach out to a crisis resources center near your area.

Seeking help is human and it is the first step to recovery.

6. HAVE FRIEND OR FRIENDS ON TIP OF YOUR FINGER

Friends, we all need at least one who we can reach out to, who will be happy for you when something great happens in your life and who will hold you together when you are at your worst in life. Friendship is hard and to find that person or a few is a blessing. As it is said, a good friend will enrich your life and improve your health. So, we do need a friend/s in our life. And what friend/s do we need around us ?

Say it loud, I need –

  1. A friend who is always honest.
  2. A friend who is trustworthy.
  3. A friend who is respectful of me & my choices .
  4. A friend who will love me for myself.
  5. A friend who believes in me.
  6. A friend who will find time for me.
  7. A friend who is thoughtful & mindful.
  8. A friend who will stay with me during the best and the worst times.
  9. A friend who is non-judgemental.
  10. A friend who will stand up for me.

7. PRACTICE MINDFULNESS

In life, we play the game of tug of war on a daily basis. We are constantly pushed into a box and pulled out when it suits someone and squeezed into situations we are uncomfortable and in the end we remain constantly in a stressful, emotional and in a frustrated state. How do we get out of this mess ? We have to because we are losing our relay with the present moment and we are missing out on how we are feeling. We have to focus our attention on the present moment by being mindful. Mindfulness helps to relieve stress. Research has found it helps with increased happiness. Our mental and physical wellbeing is restored through mindfulness. How do we practice mindfulness ?

  1. Kick start the day with right mindframe. Once we wake up, and before rushing to start our day, just sit on the bed for a few minutes and take that time to be thankful for the day. Just sit and reflect.
  2. Go out. Find time to get outdoors, a walk around the block or stroll through the park is all that matters. It helps to be present at the moment.
  3. Meditate. Meditation is a stress buster. Disconnect from all your devices and connect with your mind alone.
  4. One task at a time. Focus on one mission at a time. There was a time all resumes had multitasking as a skill. In recent years it has become clear that multitasking increases mistakes and if you focus on one job at a time, the quicker the task is completed and the faster we can move on to the next one. this is a much relaxed way to do chores or tasks and this mindfulness is what helps us live in the present moment.
  5. Take up a hobby. Encourage creative side. Take up a hobby that will help master a new art or talent in life. Use this new found hobby as a platform to express yourself creatively and make own creations and let the work speak. Use this as a stage to express thoughts and feelings and do it guilt free. Expressing feelings through dance, songs, music, art, installations, and more, let the hobby you take up keep you thankful and mindful.

8. READ, READ & READ

As Jhumpa Lahiri once said, ‘books let you travel without moving your feet’, and as Haruki Murakami once said, ‘if you only read the books that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking.’ It is true, ‘you are what you read.’ Books make us and break us, they keep us grounded and keep us informed, books helps us to escape to a world far away and help us to walk in someone else’s shoes. Reading can be magical, realistic and futuristic. Why do we always hear ‘you should read’, why do people list books to read. Here are the reason why.

  1. Reading is a stress buster. Relaxes mind and gives relief from the present stress.
  2. Reading keeps mind and body active. Our brain functions well when new knowledge and wisdom is passed on. Reading helps improve our language, vocabulary, critical thinking and gives us a much better understanding of the world around us. It is said, reading also increases our lifespan. Reading is an activity that helps our brain to keep engaged and increases concentration, which in turn improves memory.
  3. Reading increases happiness. 30 minutes of reading in a day can make you feel satisfied, as reading can improve mental health. As Stephen King explained, ‘books are a uniquely portable magic.’
  4. Reading makes you more tolerant, empathetic and understanding.
  5. Reading can transform us as a person. Good books, be it biographies, self help books and autobios, they have a tendency to transform a person. One can identify with the other person in the book, connect with their emotions and struggles, it is a way to transform oneself and book can definitely assist in changing a person for the best.

9. REWARD YOURSELF

Yes, we have the right to spoil ourselves. When we reach a goal self reward. Say to self, ‘I deserve it.’ It’s a pat on the back for a job well done and a reason to treat self to something you love. We can indulge, dive into luxury and present ourselves a gift for the hardyards we put in. Why some may ask ! Because it works. We should always remember to be kinder to ourselves. Treating ourselves well, will keep ourselves motivated and inspired. Self rewarding has many perks. In our path to reach the goal, a personal reward system helps to keep going when the going get tough. Always make sure you choose a reward that will makes one feel great but make sure to choose the right reward. Right reward means choosing something that will encourage ourselves more of a behaviour that lead us to our goal. Choosing the right reward for self is happiness. Here are the few benefits of self rewarding.

  1. Self Rewarding improves self esteem.
  2. Self Rewarding improves self confidence.
  3. Self Rewarding improves self respect.
  4. Self Rewarding improves positivity within self.
  5. Self Rewarding improves sense of pleasure.

10. ENJOY YOUR WEEKENDS

Weekends are time to disconnect from devices & reconnect with friends and family, it’s a time to reflect and relax. If anyone knows how to enjoy a weekend, it will definitely be the Germans. For them Saturdays they enjoy to the core, it’s a family day, time to hang with friends and do the essential shopping et al. And Sundays, ‘Ruhetag,’ which literally translates to a day of rest. According to the law, Sunday is a day of rest and all activities that will disturb the peace, calmness and tranquility of the day are forbidden. Yes, they have a law.

We should have that in our life, a law of rest in our life. As soon as Friday hits, our work brains should shut down. All we should think is Friday night dinner with friends/colleagues or family or movie night with family, or a trivia night at our pub or a quiet night with sweetheart or just curl up in bed with a book. Once we log off from work our mind is searching for freedom and is in search for cut off from all that stress and buzz from the reality.

So why should we have a weekend and why is it so important to enjoy it and how can we make the weekend productive and more enjoyable. Here are some pointers.

  1. Wake up as usual. As lovely as it may sound, sleeping in on a weekend will disturb your regular flow of activities and a break in your pattern can alter a lot in life. Yes, it is tempting but continue as usual.
  2. Disconnect. The whole idea of a weekend is to de-stress and re-charge. One way we can make that happen is if we disconnect from devices for at least half a day. We live in a online world, everyone is 24 hours online, either shopping and selling. the buyer and the seller, we both need a day of break. We get sucked into the success of a business and we forget to care for ourselves. If you are working a 9 to 5 job, you must log off on Friday and reconnect with work only by Monday. All of us need a break to breath and enjoy life. Yes, we deserve it.
  3. Connect with family or friends. We live in such a rush, we almost forget to find time for those who matter to us the most. Weekends can be a time to connect with them. A call (zoom, whatsapp )or a visit (if possible) should be in the agenda. We can catch up with an old friend or plan a dinner with folks, coffee & cake with favourite aunt or cousin, boys day out or girls day out with friends or family. There are so much we can plan for every weekend to spend quality time with friends and family.

Few other pointer to reflect on are

  1. Try something different. Do something that wasn’t done before. For example, go for a hike, travel to the mountains, reserve a table at a fancy restaurant that was in the wishlist, go see a opera or a musical. There are so much to try.
  2. Plan for next weekend. Yes, that’s right. ‘What would you like to do next weekend ?’ Scheduling activities ahead can give something to look forward to. As soon as the week is over, we know what we have instore for us. It’s a good feeling.
  3. One full day of no work. Sounds easy and exciting. Of Course, hard to follow. We can try to make Sunday a Ruhetag in our lives. No chores, no studies, no work, no activities, or it could be more like less chores, less studies, less work, less activities. We should disconnect from devices and just reflect on self or make it purely a family day, just mom,dad and kids.

In conclusion, know this, we can start somewhere to make a change happen. Take few pointers from here and apply in life and see if that makes a change. Take small steps, stick to a routine, work smart, disconnect from all electronic devices at least 30 minutes daily, plan, prepare and prioritize everything in life and stick to your schedule. If changes happen, re-schedule or why not start over. Yes, start all over. Stay happy, eat healthy and keep yourselves in high regards always. Always.

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3 thoughts on “10 Ways To Get Started ”

  2. Pingback: Oh Yes Its Monday Again | Art of How To

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