I found out that I was lacking interest in maintaining health operating level and that was the reason I was getting into trouble too often. I ASSESSED WHAT WAS THE OPTIMUM HEALTH RANGE ON DAY TO DAY BASIS FOR A RETIRED MAN TO STAY ACTIVE AND HAPPY AT THE SAME TIME.
That made me more regular in seeing into what quantity my daily fluid intake was, what calories I was taking and burning, what had to be my weight, was I taking my medicines properly etc.
After a few months (about five years ago), I became more health-conscious and took special care to the level that if I was feeling tense, I used to move outside for fresh air inhaling through deep breathing and warding off the on-rushing tension. The practice eased us. I started taking care of nail conditions and skin abrasions too. I identified some irregularities like drinking cold water. All this summed up into a pleasant package; I halved the tablets I was taking and that worked equally well. That has made me feel better.
I have lesser problems of sore throat, feeling feverish, joint pains etc. I have seldom taken pain-killers for abdominal pain during this five-year period.
I FEEL MUCH HAPPIER AND PROBABLY HEALTHIER!
A place for everything. Everything in its place.
I was horrible at keeping track of my things. All my life I have searched for the keys kept somewhere, pens that were somewhere in my bag. To get a thing out of my bag meant doing an FBI search of the bag, poking my hands into its deep corners, doing a thorough search.
I hit the rock bottom one day two years back. There was a girl in my college on whom I had a big crush. But I was not able to find a way to become friends for her. Then on one day as we stood outside the tuck shop, she asked that she needs to go to the market, and if I can give her a ride on my bike.
That was a god gifted moment.
Even before she could complete her sentence I was nodding my head in great excitement. I asked her to wait there as I went to the parking to get the bike.
And then it hit me. I didn’t have the keys. I searched my pockets and bag, a many times over. I found nothing, nilch, nada.
With no hope, I returned and told her that I suddenly remembered I have to do an urgent assignment, and she should probably take a cab.
I still remember the look on her face.
Average Americans spends one year of their life looking for lost or misplaced items. US News and World Report.
I’m sure I was worst, if not at par to the figure reported above.
But during my stint with Tata Motors I learnt this simple Japanese Principle. (they use this to encourage the operators in shop floor to organized their working space)
A place for everything. Everything in its place.
I applied this in my life, and it has really reduced the irritation that I used to feel while searching for the lost things.
It is very simple
- Identify things in your life that you regularly lose and search. (I did this for the things that I carry to my office -ID Card, Wallet, Mobile, earphone, keys, charger
- Arrange them in logical pairs (So ID Card an Wallet falls in one category; Mobile, earphones in other, Keys and Charger in the last)
- Define a fixed place in your bag, or trouser pockets where you’ll keep them (I always keep ID Card and Wallet in my bag - front pocket; Keys and charger in the middle pocket; Mobile and earphone in my pocket)
And then the most important part- Do this every time, however strong the urge is to throw them in the first place that comes in your mind. Put things in the place assigned.
Since then, I haven't forget my card or earphones in two years. Not a single time. No more I am anxious or unsure whether I have lost things or forgotten them. Because I have done this activity mindfully in the morning, I have complete clarity about what I have and what I don’t.
And Trust me, my life has changed after that. Mind is uncluttered a bit, no worries about these trifles lingering in my unconsciousness.
Just because of this one simple rule.
A place for everything. Everything in its place.
PS -Slowly, I have started adopting this rule to the other areas of my life with the same results.
One lifestyle change that I have implemented recently, and that I've been talking about quite a bit, is making the conscious choice to not buy snackfoods when I go grocery shopping and to not keep them in my house.
Traditionally I've always been a huge snacker and a mindless eater. I may feel hungry at any time of the day, and when that happens I go straight to the most convenient pleasurable foods. If I slept late and its 2 pm and I haven't eaten anything, i most likely will not make a sandwich or pour a bowl of cereal. I'll eat a slice of the cake in the refrigerator, or some of the ice cream from the freezer, out of the bag of chips in cupboard or the box of cookies on the counter.
In the evenings I would usually have a restless feeling if I wasn't eating anything. So it's back to the ice cream or chips or popcorn and pretzels. Recently I'd been trying to lower the fat by eating sourdough pretzels or popcorn with olive oil. But even if that was a healthier choice I was still pounding carbs by the handful.
A month ago I moved away from home to pursue a PhD in Albany NY. I moved into my own 1 bedroom apartment with a kitchen. My mom brought me a bag of my favorite kettle corn when she dropped me off but I told her to take it back with her. I made the choice that day that when I went grocery shopping from that point on I would not buy the empty snackfoods that I had such a weakness for. Instead I would buy fresh ingredients and cook every night, and eat fruit or vegetables if I was hungry in between.
For the last month I've made a sandwich every day for lunch, cooked a full meal for dinner every night and only eaten fruit or vegetables, or sometimes a string cheese at night. I've lost about 5 pounds, though I have also been exercising regularly. I feel great and motivated to take on the new adventures in my life. I feel this healthy lifestyle will power me to achieve my full potential and perform better than I would without it.
Prior to this I'd never succeeded at limiting my calories, because I was so hopelessly addicted to snacking. It's just too hard to limit the number of carby snacks you eat or try to only eat a small desert. You're still taking in empty calories making weight loss impossible! Like any addiction, it's possible that the only sustainable method for controlling these cravings is complete abstinence. If you don't allow yourself the option of indulging you prevent consuming too much.
Adopting the two minute rule.
If something takes less than two minutes, do it now and then. Don’t give yourself room for decision making.
Our brain is very bad at decision making, because decisions introduce change, and our instincts are to avoid changes. The two minute rule is so awesome because it takes the decision making out of the way and forces a start on something you would have otherwise procrastinated on.
How the two minute rule helped me:
- No more leftover dishes. Cleaning the dishes takes <2min
- Clean room. When I come back home, it takes <30sec to get my clothes off and put them in the closet. My room looks like that 100% of the time.
- De-cluttering my mind. New bill arrived? Pay for it. Idea for a holiday? Do the booking now. Appointment for the dentist? Make the phone call already.
Life is sooo much easier when you don’t have a huge list of chores that you need to remember.
Gratitude practice.
Write down 10 things that you're grateful for first thing in the morning.
This one practice has helped me tremendously.
Being positive is difficult for me at times. I recognize my blessings, but I lose sight of them when work and/or life become stressful.
When I do this one thing in the morning, it always helps me start my day off on the right foot.
It causes you to focus your mind on what you have vs. what you don't.
You can expand on the 10 or just write the list. I find that writing one sentence or so about each item on the list works even better.
Everyone can do this. Everyone can list 10 things they're grateful for.
If not, start with whatever you can and grow your list from there.
It's more about focusing on being grateful than it is on the actual items or the list.
Hope this helps.
Bonus tip: If you do this in Evernote and tag it with “gratitude” you can go back and read it whenever life gets pissy.
If this doesn’t work, I drink beer. That works sometimes.
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